Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 102929 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102929 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
It felt dangerously familiar in ways that didn’t make any sense. It was this palpable surge of energy as his gaze stayed fixated on mine the entire time. His eyes brimmed with untold secrets and unspoken truths while his fingers bled across the piano keys in such a devastatingly haunting way.
It was breathtakingly beautiful.
He was breathtakingly beautiful.
I immediately recognized the lone wolf in him, reflecting my own spirit animal.
His jet-black hair and bright blue eyes were contrasting traits that he wore like a striking paradox. His defined facial features were almost as prominent as his piercing gaze. I couldn’t look away, mesmerized by his dominant presence and what was so obviously his natural-born talent.
I stayed there captivated with no intention of taking my eyes off him. Now, where the piano had calmed my mind, the violin, which had abruptly started playing flawlessly on cue, consumed that peace with the sharp bite of its bow against the strings. My attention didn’t just shift to the violin player. It was snatched toward him. Purposely.
Instantly, my gaze locked with enchanting, dark forest-green eyes. His hair might have been blond, but his strong facial structure and equally dominant demeanor mirrored the guy playing the piano. I’d be a fool not to realize they were brothers. For that reason alone, it seemed as if this undeniable force stole every last breath from my lungs.
I watched him play his violin with such fierce execution, utterly oblivious to the strangers around him. It was only him and me, and I understood each note. It was this raw, dark, and desperate cry pouring off his strings and bow, triggering this sensation of a history we once shared, which was impossible. How I could embrace these emotions for these two boys I’d only just met was crazy and so unlike me.
Perhaps it was the music. It was evident how important the music was to us all, causing an instant bond between the three.
Or maybe… just maybe, they were already part of my destiny. Of a fate I never believed in, and in a future that would unfold whether I was ready for it or not.
When it all became too much, my eyes shut on their own, and I got lost in the rhythm that both comforted and plagued me all at once. Though when I slowly opened my eyes, the sun and moon collided. The notes intensified, the music’s climax evident as they played against each other. Yet it felt as though they were suddenly forced into a silent battle for my attention, their eyes never leaving mine. Not for a single second.
It was such a private moment in such a public place, and before I could continue to spiral toward these guys and their music, someone yelled out, “COPS! RUN!”
I froze, but for a whole different reason.
Are they here for me?
To say I wasn’t used to the freeze response would be an understatement. The sudden tension stretched, thick and suffocating, until the violin guy laced his fingers with mine, and I swear, a spark jumped from the tips of our skin. My stare quickly shifted from the distant cops to our entwined hands. I was confused by the turn of events.
Plus… I’d never held a boy’s hand before.
As soon as the warm thought hit me, a clipped tone sliced through the air, pointing out, “The fuck, Julius? What the hell are you doing?”
It was only then that I realized the voice belonged to the piano guy, who was now pissed as hell, demanding an answer from Julius. He was glaring right at our entwined hands.
In a silent reassurance, Julius lightly squeezed my fingers before responding in an equally clipped tone, “Exactly what it looks like, Kraven.”
Julius? Kraven?
Even their names struck a chord inside me. I resisted the urge to say them out loud just to feel the way they rolled off my tongue. To see if the names felt as right as they sounded in my mind, as memorable…
The desire was almost unbearable, considering I barely ever spoke at all. It was better that way, safer to keep quiet and just nod or shake my head when I needed to.
The rules were always don’t be seen, don’t be heard. It made things easier for me when most probably assumed it’d make it more complicated.
I didn’t speak, but that didn’t mean I didn’t have a lot to say. On the contrary, I carried note pads for this exact reason. Sometimes I’d leave them lying around in random places for others to read and possibly relate to them.
In the crack of a whip, Kraven bit, “You can’t—”
“You don’t tell me,” Julius interrupted, “what I can and can’t do, little brother.”
Something passed between them, something deeper, darker, more binding than blood.
Just as the thought occurred, Julius turned to Kraven. “Give me your hoodie!” he ordered, nodding over to me.