More Than a Fall
Night had fallen over the camp, draping the forest in silver and shadow. The fire pit still smoldered at the center of the clearing, a few dying ashes glowing faintly in the dark. Most of the students had already retreated into their tents, the soft murmur of laughter fading into quiet snores and rustling sleeping bags.
Asher was still wide awake, staring at the tent’s fabric ceiling, his phone clutched in his hand. The screen gleamed weakly, showing no signal. Sighing, he sat up and pushed the zipper open, stepping into the cold air. Pine needles crunched under his bare feet as he moved away from the tents, searching for a better connection.
“Come on,” he muttered, holding the phone higher. One bar. Then none.
He seethed and was about to turn back when he noticed a figure a little way off, sitting on a fallen log. Her hair caught the moonlight, it was Tessa. She was looking up at the sky, her face soft and distant, like she was somewhere else entirely.
Something in his chest tightened. He took a step forward, half ready to call out to her but before he could, someone else moved through the shadows. It was the same guy from earlier.
Asher's nose flared, his grip tightening around his phone until his knuckles turned white. The guy said something in a low voice, something that made Tessa smile.
And just like that, the night felt colder. Then he quickly turned and went back into his tent.
Tessa tilted her head, catching a faint sound — the soft zip of a tent closing. Her eyes flicked toward Asher’s tent, and a small frown tugged at her lips.
“I saw him just now,” Owen said quietly, following her gaze.
Tessa just nodded and looked back up at the sky. The silence that settled between them was thick, heavy with unspoken things.
Then Owen spoke again, voice tentative. “You love him, don’t you?”
To his surprise, Tessa didn’t deny it.
“Yes, Owen,” she said softly. “He’s the only guy my heart has ever wanted. But…” her lips curved in a bittersweet smile “… he loves my best friend.”
Owen’s chest tightened, looking heartbroken and she noticed.
“I’m sorry, Owen.”
“No, it’s fine,” he said quickly, forcing a small smile. “But… I think he likes you too.”
Stunned, Tessa stared at his face, unable to process his words.
Owen met her gaze and nodded slowly.
“If you’re doubting me, I’ll prove it to you,” he said quietly.
But Tessa only kept staring, shock freezing her in place.
——————
Lila and Damien lay together on her bed, her head resting on his bare chest while his fingers lazily stroked her hair.
They had been together since morning, teasing, laughing, and losing themselves in each other over and over again, yet it still felt like they could never get enough.
Lila closed her eyes and pressed her face deeper into his chest, breathing him in, as if she wanted to melt into him and never let go.
“His name is Vadim Skarn,” Damien said softly, his voice cutting through the quiet.
Lila’s eyes flew open, her brows lifting as she looked up at him.
“The man who adopted me,” he continued, and her lips curved slightly, waiting. “He’s a mafia lord and a drug dealer. He took us in…” His voice faltered for a second. “I mean, he took me in.”
“No, I heard that,” Lila said gently. “You said us.”
Damien smiled faintly and shook his head.
“Even though I never wanted that lifestyle, it was all I ever got,” Damien said quietly. “I wanted an education, to graduate, to become an architect but I became a killer instead.”
Lila could hear the raw ache in his voice, the weight of years he carried in silence. It pulled her closer to him, like a magnet to sorrow.
“I was trained to use different kinds of guns, to kill rival gangs and enemies,” he went on, eyes distant as though watching memories she couldn’t see. “We just wanted a normal life. Both of us wanted the same thing—a simple, ordinary life.”
“Who’s the second person, Wolfe?” Lila asked softly.
Damien let out a quiet sigh. “My friend.”
Her brows furrowed. “Who? I didn’t know you had another friend apart from my uncle Lucien.”
A faint smile touched his lips. “Yeah, that’s because he’s out of the country. Don’t worry, you’ll meet him soon.”
Lila nodded and he continued. “So then Vadim said we had to take an oath. That was the last thread. We ran away and never looked back.”
“That’s good,” Lila muttered, but her voice held more relief than conviction.
“But we thought he would never find us. Maybe he wouldn’t have, if we had quit the job. He did find us. My friend and I took his life and then we tried to live.” His hand tightened in her hair for a heartbeat, as if the memory left a bruise.
“We thought we could leave the life behind, but it was impossible. That’s why I’m here today, Lila. But trust me, I don’t kill innocent people, only the enemies.” His eyes met hers, pleading for her to see the truth in him.
A huge smile broke across Lila’s face and she wrapped her arms around him, holding him like she might stitch the wounds he carried closed.
“I believe you, Wolfe,” she whispered, her breath hot against his skin. “Thank you for telling me.”
They held each other for a long, quiet moment, and then Damien drew her up and kissed her, deep and slow, as if sealing something fragile between them.
The following morning at the camp, after breakfast, the instructors gathered the students and led them toward the mountain trail. The air was filled with laughter and chatter as they climbed; some students taking pictures of the breathtaking view, others teasing and joking with their friends.
Everyone seemed happy. Everyone except Asher.
He looked tense, his jaw tight and his expression inscrutable. He wasn’t sure if his foul mood was because the network signal was terrible and he couldn’t reach Lila, or because of the way Tessa was acting around Owen.
Ahead of him, Owen was running up the trail, calling out, “Catch me if you can!” while Tessa laughed and chased after him.
Around them, other students were goofing around, some carrying each other on their backs, others stopping to take selfies but Asher barely noticed. He just kept walking, his thoughts dark and restless.
“I told ya, Tessa! You can’t catch me!” Owen shouted over his shoulder, laughing as he ran ahead.
“Oh, just wait!” Tessa yelled back, grinning as she chased after him. She was almost catching up when her foot slipped against a loose rock. Her ankle twisted sharply.
“Ah!” she cried, dropping into a crouch.
“Tessa!” Asher and Owen shouted at the same time, but Asher reached her first.
“Are you okay? Let me see,” he said quickly, kneeling in front of her. He gently rolled up her jeans to check her ankle.
Tessa’s breath caught as she stared at him. His brows were drawn together. Her heart fluttered wildly in her chest.
“You should be careful,” Asher said, his tone a mix of anger and worry. “Why were you even running like that? Do you want to hurt yourself?”
Tessa smiled softly, her heart racing at how close he was, at the warmth of his hands against her skin.
She could feel how much he cared, even behind his stern words.
From a few feet away, Owen stood rooted, watching them. His playful grin had faded and replaced by something tight and sore in his expression.