Can’t Win Me Back

Jonah could not bear to think about the void that would swallow him if he lost Julien.

The skies could fall and crush him, turning his life into a hopeless wreck.

Gasping for breath, Jonah raced into the villa, which was cold, dark, and silent.

Suddenly, memories he had buried deep surged back, overwhelming him.

He gripped the hem of his shirt, struggling to steady his breathing while anguish clawed at him.

Since Blake's death, he had never returned to this place.

The man he loved had died when Jonah loved him most, and the depth of that devastation was unfathomable to anyone who had not experienced it themselves.

But this was not the moment to drown in sorrow.

Jonah called out Julien's name again and again as he searched every room in the house for him.

When he reached the second floor, he spotted lights flickering in the home theater.

His heart raced as he burst inside.

"Julien!" Julien sat alone on the couch, a dazed look in his eyes.

Scattered around his feet were white roses.

The video of Jonah and Blake's intimate moments was still playing on the screen, but it was muted.

Julien was staring straight at it.

Slowly, his pale lips curled up into a smile.

He was mocking himself.

"Julien...

don't watch.

Jonah couldn't turn the screen

could only block Julien's view by standing in

"Uri's targeting me.

let him get

believe what he said!" "Even if 99% of what he said was a lie, one thing was true." Julien raised his swollen eyes

was the love of

2 Jonah's heart

not—" "Actually, your

is gone.

be with that person." Julien's voice dragged out as though he had traversed great

the one you could have given

merely

A fleeting substitute.

during those

lucky to have found someone who looks

also

But what a pity...

to

fake will

deceive yourself about your own feelings." Tears welled in Jonah's eyes

pain within him

to be

than be someone else's shadow." With that, Julien pulled a

as he raised the sharpened stalk to

his cheek,

and