Chapter 87 : The Laughter Faded
STEPHEN’S POV:
I didn’t sleep, not even for a second.
At first, it was just noise like muffled laughter, the creak of the door, the low murmur of voices drifting down the hallway. I’d rolled over in bed, pressing my face into the pillow, telling myself to ignore it.
Hayden bringing a girl back wasn’t new.
It shouldn’t have mattered but then the sounds changed.
The laughter faded into something else. The kind of sounds you couldn’t mistake, no matter how hard you tried.
My jaw tightened as I stared into the darkness of my room, every muscle in my body going rigid.
No.
I squeezed my eyes shut, dragging the blanket higher over my shoulder like it could block it out.
It didn’t. It only got louder.
A low groan, the creak of the couch. A breathless voice that wasn’t his and then his voice, rough and unrestrained in a way I’d never heard before.
Something twisted hard in my chest.
I turned onto my back, staring up at the ceiling now, my pulse pounding in my ears.
This was normal. This was what he did.
He fucked girls, goes to parties, and hooks up with different chicks. That was Hayden.
So why did it feel like something was clawing its way up my throat?
Another sound cut through the silence, sharper this time, desperate, and before I could stop myself, I was already sitting up.
“Fuck…” I muttered under my breath, dragging a hand through my hair.
Don’t do this. Don’t go out there.
But my body wasn’t listening.
I swung my legs over the side of the bed, my feet hitting the cold floor as I stood. For a second, I just stood there, frozen, like I still had time to change my mind.
I didn’t.
Because a second later, I was already moving, already stepping out into the hallway.
The door to the living room was slightly open.
I should’ve walked away, turned around, gone back to my room, and shut the door.
Instead, I pushed it open and immediately, wished I hadn’t.
Hayden was on the couch, completely lost in slamming his dick into the girl like nothing else in the world existed except what was right in front of him. His movements were rough, almost frantic, like he was trying to outrun something.
The girl beneath him was breathless, clinging onto the couch, completely wrapped up in him but he wasn’t looking at her.
His eyes were distant and unfocused.
And for one split second…I thought about last night.
The way he had looked at me then and everything had shifted.
My chest tightened so sharply it almost hurt.
I stepped back before either of them could notice me, my stomach twisting as I turned and walked straight back to my room.
I shut the door harder than I meant to, the sound echoing too loudly in the quiet space.
This was normal. This meant last night meant nothing. That is what he wanted, right?
I let out a shaky breath, dragging both hands down my face as I leaned back against the door.
So why did it feel like something had just been ripped out of my chest?
I pushed myself off the door and paced the room, restless, agitated, unable to sit still.
It shouldn’t matter. It didn’t matter. He had made that clear but the sounds didn’t stop.
Even through the walls, I could still hear enough, enough to make my jaw clench and my hands curl into fists at my sides.
I didn’t sleep.
Morning came like a slap to the face.
I stepped out of my room, exhaustion weighing down every step, my head pounding from the lack of sleep and then I saw them.
They were both still in the living room.
The girl was sprawled across the couch, half-naked, completely knocked out. Hayden was beside her, one arm thrown over his eyes like he didn’t have a care in the world.
Something inside me snapped. “Hey!” My voice cut through the silence, sharp and cold.
The girl stirred first, blinking up at me in confusion.
“What….”
“Get out,” I said flatly.
She frowned, pushing herself up slightly. “Excuse me?”
“I said get out.”
Hayden groaned, shifting slightly but not fully waking.
The girl looked between us, clearly unsure, but there was something in my expression, something hard enough, that she didn’t argue again.
She grabbed her things quickly, muttering under her breath as she slipped past me and out the door.
The second it shut, silence filled the space again.
Hayden shifted again, blinking awake slowly. “What the fuck…” he muttered, dragging a hand over his face.
Then his eyes landed on me and just like that, whatever grogginess was there disappeared.
“What did you do?” he asked, his voice rough.
“I fixed your mess,” I shot back.
His expression darkened instantly. “You had no right.”
I let out a short, humorless laugh. “No right? You were fucking her in the living room like…”
“Like what?” he cut in sharply, sitting up fully now.
“Like a goddamn animal,” I snapped.
Something dangerous flickered in his eyes. “At least I know what I want,” he shot back.
The words hit harder than they should have.
My jaw clenched. “Yeah? Is that what this is? You ‘knowing what you want’?”
“Yeah,” he said, standing now, his posture tense. “It is.”
“Bullshit.”
His eyes narrowed. “Watch your mouth.”
“Or what?” I stepped closer, the tension snapping tight between us. “You gonna prove something again?”
For a second, just a second, something shifted in his expression, then it hardened.
“You think last two nights meant something?” he said, his voice dropping, turning sharp. “It didn’t.”
I didn’t respond.
“It was a mistake,” he continued, each word colder than the last. “A drunk, stupid mistake.”
Something twisted painfully in my chest.
“And you?” he added, letting out a harsh laugh. “Don’t get it twisted. That shit? That’s not me.”
I held his gaze, refusing to look away. “Then why are you trying so hard to prove it?” I asked quietly.
His expression snapped completely. “Because I’m not like you,” he said, his voice suddenly venomous. “I’m not some…”
He stopped himself for half a second.
Then he didn’t. “I’m not some fucked-up…” he spat, the insult sharp and deliberate.
“Say it,” I cut in, my voice dangerously calm.
His jaw tightened, then he did. “Some fucked up dude who likes taking dick like a bitch ass nigga.”
And just like that, whatever fragile thing had been holding this together….broke.
“Get out,” I said, my voice low.
He let out a disbelieving laugh. “This is my place too.”
“Then act like it,” I shot back. “Because right now? You’re just….”
“Just what?” he snapped, stepping closer again.
I didn’t hesitate this time. “Pathetic.”
The word hung between us and for the first time—He didn’t have anything to say back.