Chapter 1 Stuck

The longer I looked at him, the more something inside me started to burn. His face didn't match what I knew he'd done.

He had that calm, harmless look with soft features, eyes that could've belonged to anyone but a killer. And yet, he'd taken a life.

My fists curled tight, nails biting into my palms, the sound of my own breathing filling the silence between us. Before I could stop myself, my arm moved. a single, hard punch landing square on his jaw.

The impact echoed through the empty hall, sharp and final. He stumbled, caught himself against the wall, and wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand.

When he looked up, there was no anger. Just shock... and something else I couldn't place. "Why?" I hissed, my voice trembling with rage. "Why the hell would you do something like that to someone like him?"

He didn't answer right away - just stared at the ground like he was searching for the right words to make it all go away.

When he finally spoke, his tone was eerily calm. "I guess you don't really understand what's going on, do you?" I let out a sharp, bitter laugh.

"Don't mess with me. I understand enough - you killed him." He lifted his head then, meeting my eyes. There was pain in them. Not guilt. Not fear. Just... pain.

"The person truly responsible here is your dad," he said quietly. "He used me. Exploited me. Forced me into it. You think i had a choice?" For a second, everything in me went still.

then I shoved him hard against the wall, the sound of his back hitting concrete echoing in the room. My fingers twisted into his collar as anger pulsed hot and wild through my veins.

"Don't you dare feed me that bullshit!" I snapped. "You're trying to save your ass by dragging my dad into this?" He didn't fight back. Didn't even try to push me off.

His eyes didn't waver. "Listen," he said, his voice steady but urgent. "You hand me over to the cops, and I'll hand them something bigger. I'll expose your dad - the one who made all of this happen. I've got proof. Recordings. Files." I froze.

His words slammed into me like a physical hit. "Or," he continued, stepping forward once I loosened my grip, "you can let me go. I'll disappear. You'll never see me or her again. No one ever has to know."

I wanted to call him a liar. I needed to. But deep down, that voice in my head, the one that sounded too much like my own whispered that he wasn't lying. I thought of my father's sudden rise.

The parties, the way he brushed off his friend's death like it was some unfortunate weather report.

And all those times I'd tried asking questions and got nothing but silence. Pieces of a puzzle I didn't want to solve started clicking into place.

He must've seen it in my face, the hesitation because his tone shifted, almost soft now. "Think about it, Kaelin," he said. "If I go down, your dad goes down with me. And when Elian finds out? You'll lose him too.

You really think he'll ever look at you the same again once he knows what your father did?" My chest tightened.

His words hit where they weren't supposed to. He stepped closer, too close, lowering his voice until I could feel his breath against my ear. "I know you love him," he whispered.

That did it. Something cracked inside me. My hands shook. My head pounded. I couldn't breathe past the noise of everything crashing in at once - my father, Collins, the guilt, Elian.

I staggered back, running a trembling hand through my hair, my throat burning. "Just... get the fuck out of my face," I managed to growl, my voice breaking somewhere between anger and despair.

He didn't argue. He just gave me one last unreadable look - almost pity - before slipping into the darkness like smoke. And just like that, he was gone. A minute later, the sound of footsteps and radio static filled the air.

Police lights flickered faintly through the windows, and Elian's voice cut through the noise. "Kae!" I turned as he rushed toward me, eyes wide with worry. He dropped to his knees beside me, his hands gripping my arms.

"Are you okay? What happened?" I opened my mouth but couldn't think of what to say. My mind was spinning too fast. "Where is he?" one of the officers demanded, scanning the area with a flashlight.

"I-" I swallowed hard, forcing my voice to stay steady. "I lost him. He ran off through the back." The officer cursed under his breath and barked something into his radio, ordering a search.

I could feel Elian still staring at me, his worry growing heavier by the second. "Hey, Kae..." His voice dropped, soft and careful. "You look pale. What did he say to you?" I looked away, blinking hard.

"Nothing. I'm fine." He frowned, stepping closer. "Do you really expect me to believe that? I know when you're lying."

"I said I'm fine," I snapped, my voice sharper than I meant it to be. The air between us went tight, thick with unspoken things. "Kae," he said again, quieter this time. "You're not fine." That was the breaking point.

"Shut the fuck up, El!" I exploded, my voice echoing off the empty walls. "Just-leave me alone!" He flinched, but didn't move.

His eyes looked wounded, like I'd punched him instead. That hurt worse than anything else. I turned before he could see the tears threatening to spill and stormed out into the cold night.

My chest felt heavy, like I was dragging the whole mess behind me. By the time I reached my car, my hands were trembling too much to light the cigarette, but I did it anyway.

The flame flickered in the dark, and for a moment, it was the only thing keeping me steady. I took a drag, exhaled slow, and let the first tear fall. I'd lost control of everything - and the worst part was, I wasn't even sure who the real monster was anymore.

**********

I reluctantly dragged myself out of my warm, cozy bed, the familiar sound of my mom's relentless phone calls echoing through the house like a morning alarm.

The shrill tones of her conversations often made me cringe, and today, I could sense the tension in her voice-it was probably going to be one of those mornings.

"Hey, get your ass down here!" she bellowed, her voice slicing through the morning air like a knife. With a resigned sigh, I trudged down the narrow staircase, the wooden steps creaking under my weight.

I arrived at the dining table and settled into my usual spot, the chair's slight wobble a small comfort in the chaos around me.

As I began to spoon cereal into my mouth, I couldn't help but steal a glance at my mom. Her brow furrowed and lips pursed, she was glaring at me as if I were the source of her irritation.

The sight was almost comical, and I felt a smirk creeping onto my face as I munched on my breakfast.

"Mum, don't you think people get shorter tempers as they get older?" I ventured, my voice dripping with playful sarcasm.

The look she shot me could have burned through steel. Undeterred, I pressed on,

"Oh, by the way, I'm staying over at Kaelin's tonight." With an exaggerated flick of my wrist, I dropped my spoon into the bowl, signaling my intention to escape the breakfast battleground.

"No parties with Kaelin, El!" she shouted after me, her irritation simmering just beneath the surface.

I hesitated for a brief moment, weighing my options-should I stand my ground, or retreat to the safety of my room? The question hung in the air, but before I could decide, she muttered under her breath,

"Well, when do you ever listen to me?" A low chuckle escaped me as I made my way up to my sanctuary, delighting in the small victory over her annoyance.

Just then, my phone buzzed, the vibration sending a thrill of excitement through me. I fished it out of my pocket to read the message from Kaelin:

"All black, buddy." A grin spread across my face as I envisioned our plan for the evening, and with a renewed sense of anticipation, I bounded up the stairs to my room, ready to embrace whatever the day had in store.

Since Dad passed away, Mum has become increasingly irritable, reacting to even the smallest of annoyances.

The once vibrant conversations she used to have, transformed into endless phone calls that seem to drain her energy and, on occasion, plunge her into a sour mood.

As the CEO of a large corporation, the pressures and responsibilities weigh heavily on her without Dad being around anymore, adding to the stress of managing her grief.

The relentless demands of her job pitch her into a whirlwind of decision-making and endless meetings, leaving little room for the emotional support she truly needs during this difficult time.

,