Chapter 22
Nathan's POV
It was my first time going to Bianca and Brian's house.
They had invited me over.
I met their mom—Bianca looked exactly like her. She was warm, welcoming. She made us snacks and drinks, she was really good at baking, her cookies tasted really good.
Bianca and Brian started arguing again over something small.
I laughed.
Then my phone rang.
Kieran.
I was taking back.
He never calls.
"Excuse me," I said, standing up. "Bathroom."
Bianca pointed the directions to me.
I stepped away and picked up.
"Hello?"
"Come home."
The line went dead.
I stared at my phone.
What the—
What the hell was that?
"Naathaan!" Bianca called from inside.
"Coming!" I replied, running a hand through my hair.
I walked back in.
"I gotta go," I said.
"What? Come on, stay longer," Bianca protested.
"I'm sorry… something came up. It important."
She sighed.
"Fine."
Then I left their house.
---
I drove home.
My grip tightened on the steering wheel.
My mind kept racing.
What could he possibly want?
Why now?
He hadn't said anything since… the last time.
The thought made my chest tighten.
---
By the time I got home, it was already evening.
I walked upstairs.
Stopped in front of his door.
Exhaled.
Then knocked.
The door opened immediately.
The room was dark.
Kieran sat on the floor.
"Close the door behind you."
I swallowed.
Closed it.
Turned back slowly.
He patted the space beside him.
I hesitated.
Then walked over and sat down.
There was a TV in front of us—I had never noticed it before.
A small camera was connected to it.
He pressed the remote.
A video started playing. A movie?
He called me to watch a movie?
But then—
I realized.
It wasn't.
It was old.
Grainy.
A woman with dark, curly waves laughed into the camera.
Then a small boy ran into her arms.
Maybe five.
Dark hair.
Bright eyes.
He laughed freely.
He looked like—
Kieran.
I glanced at him.
He didn't move.
His eyes were fixed on the screen.
I looked back.
The woman was reading to him now, gently stroking his hair as he drifted to sleep.
She kissed his forehead.
The scene shifted.
A beach.
The boy was building something in the sand.
"Mummy, come! I made a house for you!"
She zoomed in on it.
"Oh, how beautiful," she laughed. "I'll retire here one day."
"You can't live in sand, Mommy!" he giggled.
"I'll build you a real one when I grow up. A mansion, palace."
She kissed his cheek.
"That's my sweet boy, I'll be counting on that."
I glanced at Kieran again.
He looked… different.
Not the person I knew.
Just—
a boy.
Then the sky in the video darkened.
"Come on, let's go home. It's about to rain—"
The camera fell.
The screen shook.
Blurred.
Then froze.
Right on her face.
Silence.
Kieran picked up a glass beside him.
Whiskey.
He downed it in one go.
Exhaled slowly.
The room felt heavy.
I didn't know what to say.
So many things came to mind—
and none of them felt right.
"She must be proud of you," I said quietly.
The moment the words left my mouth—
I regretted it.
He scoffed.
Then sighed.
"People think she died of a heart attack," he said.
I looked at him.
"It was actually an overdose."
"I could never bring myself to hate her," he continued.
He poured another drink.
Drank it.
"I was a mistake."
He laughed.
But it didn't sound like laughter.
"My parents had a one-night stand. Then I happened."
His voice was steady.
Too steady.
"She was an actress. Upcoming. Got pregnant by a rich man's son."
He paused.
"My grandfather forced them to marry."
"They never really loved each other. Just… obligation. But she did tried to make it work between them."
I listened quietly.
"My father wasn't even there when I was born."
His fingers tightened slightly around the glass.
"He cheated. A lot."
"She couldn't go back to acting. She had some complications giving birth to me. So she had to play the perfect daughter-in-law."
His jaw clenched.
"After my grandfather died… it got worse."
"He stopped hiding it."
"Stopped coming home."
A pause.
"She drank. A lot"
"Every night."
His voice lowered.
"Sometimes… she'd say things."
I watched him.
"How I ruined her life."
Silence.
"Then the next morning… she'd apologize."
I looked at him. Really looked at him.
he didn't look like Kieran.
He looked like the boy from the video.
"But part of me sometimes think she was right," he said quietly.
I reached for his hand.
It was resting on the floor.
He looked down at it.
Then at me.
"That not true…" I said softly, "From the video I saw I can tell that she loved you."
He gave a faint smile.
Then looked back at the screen.
"She was beautiful."
"She was," he said.
He leaned back slightly.
Then—
"Could you stay with me?"
I blinked.
He was asking?
Not ordering?
I nodded.
He stood and held out his hand. I took it.
He pulled me up.
We walked to the bed. He climbed in. I followed
We laid facing each other.
Then he reached up, brushing a strand of hair from my face.
"You really are beautiful," he murmured.
Then he leaned forward.
Kissed my forehead.
Then pulled back.
I froze.
"Can you hold me?"
I didn't react at first, but then I nodded.
He turned his back to me.
He was taller—but I wrapped my arms around him anyway.
My hands barely fit.
But I held on.
Slowly—
I closed my eyes.
And somewhere between the silence and his breathing—
I fell asleep.
---
Kieran's POV
I turned slightly.
He was asleep.
Peaceful.
Like nothing in the world could touch him.
My phone rang.
He frowned faintly in his sleep, the sound pulling at him.
I reached for it quickly.
Silenced it before it could wake him.
Then slipped off the bed and stepped into the bathroom, closing the door behind me.
"Hello."
"Hey, man. I'm so sorry" Zane's voice came through.
"Yeah it fine."
A pause.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I completely forgot about today."
I leaned back against the sink.
We always spent this day together.
My mother's death anniversary.
"It's all good," I said.
"You want me to come over?"
I didn't answer immediately.
Instead, I opened the bathroom door slightly.
My gaze fell on the bed.
Nathan.
Still asleep.
Breathing softly.
A small, almost unnoticeable smile tugged at my lips.
"Nah," I said, closing the door again. "I'm good."
"You sure?"
"Yeah dude. See you tomorrow."
"Alright, man… see you tomorrow."
The call ended. Silence returned.
I stepped back into the room.
Placed my phone on the table.
Then climbed back onto the bed.
I faced him. Closer this time.
My eyes traced his face.
Too calm. I reached out.
My fingers brushed lightly through his hair. Soft.
He stirred slightly.
Brows pulling together— like he was about to wake.
I paused. Waited.
But he didn't. He settled again. Still.
I watched him for a moment longer.
Then leaned back slightly. And closed my eyes.