It was a special day for Elias and Kai-their second anniversary. What started as a friendship at fifteen had turned into something deeper, something neither of them could imagine living without.

At a small florist shop, Elias scanned the rows of flowers, his best friend Noah standing beside him with an amused smirk.

"Calm down, Romeo. Kai isn't going anywhere," Noah teased, watching Elias practically vibrate with excitement.

"Says the guy pretending not to have a crush on Ethan," Elias shot back, smirking as he picked up a bunch of white lilies.

Noah scoffed, feigning nonchalance. "First of all, we're just friends. Second of all, focus-you're here to get flowers for Kai, not roast me."

"Right, right." Elias held up the lilies, his expression softening. "These are perfect for him."

"Ugh, I swear, every time you talk about him, it's like watching a bad romance movie," Noah groaned. "You and Kai never miss a chance to remind me I'm single in twenty different ways."

Elias chuckled, handing his chosen bouquet to the florist. Meanwhile, Noah picked up a set of gardenias, turning them over in his hands thoughtfully.

"So, you're actually going to ask Ethan out, huh?" Elias smirked, eyebrow raised.

"Shut up," Noah muttered, but he didn't put the flowers back.

Elias grinned as he paid for the lilies. "Anyway, I'm planning to surprise Kai today. Hopefully, he'll agree to move in with me."

Noah's teasing softened into encouragement. "He'll say yes. You two are basically attached at the hip." He checked his phone. "It's almost four-you should get going."

"Crap, you're right. See you tonight!" Elias called over his shoulder before rushing out, bouquet in hand. He hopped into his car, heart pounding, already picturing the way Kai's face would light up when he saw him.

The bouquet of white lilies rested on the passenger seat, but Elias barely spared it a glance as he drove. His fingers drummed anxiously against the steering wheel, his mind tangled in memories that felt as vivid as if they had happened just yesterday.

----------------

Two years ago.

A warm summer night. The rooftop of Kai's house. The city stretched beneath them, twinkling in the distance, but all Elias could focus on was the boy beside him. Kai was lying on his back, arms folded behind his head, eyes locked on the sky. Elias sat cross-legged beside him, pretending to admire the stars but, in reality, stealing glances at Kai whenever he thought he wouldn't notice.

"You ever think about the future?" Kai's voice had broken the silence, casual but carrying something deeper beneath the surface.

Elias smirked. "What, you planning to run for president?"

Kai scoffed. "God, no. Can you imagine me handling a whole country?" He turned his head, finally looking at Elias. "I meant... us. You and me. Where do you think we'll be in a few years?"

Elias had gone still. Not because he didn't know the answer, but because the truth was terrifying. He saw them together-always. But the risk of saying it out loud, of losing what they had, had kept him silent. So, like a coward, he had shrugged.

"Still putting up with your awful jokes, probably."

Kai huffed, rolling his eyes. "Please, my jokes are the highlight of your life."

A short silence followed before Kai spoke again, quieter this time. "But really... what if I said I wanted us to be more than just best friends?"

Elias had felt his heart lurch, a sharp intake of breath betraying him. He turned to face Kai, searching his expression for hesitation. There was none. No teasing smile, no playful glint in his eyes-just quiet, unshaken certainty.

For the first time, Elias allowed himself to believe that maybe, just maybe, he wasn't alone in this.

"Then I'd say... I've been waiting for you to say that."

A pause. And then, the smile-soft, relieved, real.

That night, under the stars, the line between friendship and something more had blurred, then vanished entirely.

Now, two years later, Elias tightened his grip on the wheel, his chest aching with something too big to name. He smiled to himself.

"Still putting up with your awful jokes, Kai. And I wouldn't change a damn thing."

Pressing his foot on the gas, he drove faster, eager to get to the person who had made every second of those two years worth it.

----------------

As the elevator doors slid open with a quiet ding, Elias stepped inside, pressing the button for the eighth floor. His fingers trembled slightly, though he wasn't sure if it was from anticipation or excitement. He could already imagine the way Kai's face would light up in surprise, the way his lips would curl into that signature smile when he saw the bouquet of white lilies.

Elias exhaled, gripping the flowers tightly.

Relax. It's your anniversary. He'll love this.

The doors opened, and he stepped out, his heart picking up speed as he walked towards the apartment. The spare key felt cold in his palm as he slid it into the lock, his pulse hammering in his ears. With a hopeful smile, he pushed the door open.

Silence.

His smile faltered. Kai wasn't in the living room. That wasn't unusual, but something felt...off.

Then, his eyes landed on them.

A pair of shoes.

Not Kai's. Bigger. Bulkier. A size too large.

Elias' breath hitched, a sudden coldness seeping into his veins. His fingers curled tightly around the bouquet, the petals crinkling under his grip.

Maybe he has a guest.

He wanted to believe it. Needed to believe it. But the gnawing pit in his stomach told him otherwise.

Then, a sound.

A low voice. A chuckle.

Not Kai's.

The sound drifted from the bedroom, and Elias took a shaky step forward. His heart pounded like a war drum, each step heavier than the last. The closer he got, the clearer the voices became. A soft hum of pleasure. A low murmur. A rustle of sheets.

No. No, this isn't happening. He wouldn't-

With a trembling hand, he pressed against the bedroom door. It wasn't locked.

The door creaked open.

Elias swallowed the lump in his throat and pushed the door open just enough to peek inside.

And that's when his world came crashing down.

His breath hitched. His fingers clenched around the flowers so tightly that the stems bent under the pressure. There, tangled in the sheets, was Kai-with someone else.

Elias barely registered the stranger, his focus entirely on Kai's bare skin, the way his body lay beneath someone else's touch. The man's face was buried against Kai's neck, movements slow, possessive, intimate.

Elias felt like he had been gutted.

His mind screamed at him to barge in, to rip the bastard away from Kai, to demand an explanation. But what was there to explain? He had seen enough.

Something inside him cracked, and his vision blurred. With trembling hands, he placed the bouquet down on the nearest surface-a gift meant for a lover who had already given himself to someone else.

A bitter laugh almost escaped his lips, but the sound died in his throat. His chest was too tight. His lungs burned.

Without another glance, he turned and left.

The air outside felt suffocating, heavy with betrayal. His hands trembled as he shoved them into his pockets, his mind replaying the image over and over again like a cruel, twisted film.

How long had this been going on?

Had Kai ever truly loved him?

A choked sound escaped Elias' throat. His entire body screamed at him to move, to do something, to react, but he couldn't. The scene burned itself into his mind, an irreversible scar.

He turned on his heel, forcing his legs to move, to run. The walls of the apartment blurred as he stumbled out, the suffocating air pressing against his chest. The moment he stepped outside, the reality of it all crashed into him, an unbearable weight settling over his shoulders.

His hands trembled. His breaths came in short, ragged gasps.

Why?

The question clawed at his throat, but no answer would come. Only the overwhelming pain, the image of Kai and that stranger seared into his mind. His heart, once so full, now felt like an empty, crumbling husk.

Anger.

It came swiftly, igniting through him like wildfire. How dare Kai do this? How dare he throw away two years like they meant nothing?

----------------

Elias stormed down the steps, not trusting himself to take the elevator. Every footfall echoed the pounding in his skull. By the time he reached his car, his hands ached from how tightly they clenched into fists. He shoved the key into the ignition, not knowing where he was going-only that he had to get away.

The city lights blurred as he drove, his vision clouded by unshed tears. The betrayal sat in his chest like a stone, suffocating, unbearable. Without thinking, he pulled into the nearest bar, his heart still hammering like a battle drum.

The dim lighting, the murmur of voices-it was all a dull haze. He slid onto a stool, nodding at the bartender before muttering, "Whiskey. Neat."

The burn in his throat was nothing compared to the burn in his chest.

One glass. Then another. And another.

Yet, no amount of alcohol could drown the image of Kai with another man, the ghost of his lover's touch still lingering on his skin like a cruel joke.

He wanted to forget.

But some betrayals were impossible to drink away.

Elias barely registered the weight of his phone vibrating in his pocket until the numbing haze was interrupted by the name flashing on the screen-Noah. He hesitated. A part of him wanted to ignore it, to drown in silence, but he picked up anyway, forcing a half-hearted chuckle.

"Hey, Noah." His voice was hoarse, broken at the edges.

"Elias! How did it go? Did Kai agree to move in with you?" Noah's voice bubbled with excitement, oblivious to the wreckage Elias had just walked away from.

A bitter laugh escaped Elias. It was almost funny how drastically things had changed in a matter of minutes. "Yeah... sure. He agreed in his own way," he muttered, swirling the drink in his glass.

Noah's playful tone faded. "Wait. Why do you sound like that? Are you drinking? Where are you?" His voice sharpened with worry, catching the faint sound of music and chatter in the background.

Elias clenched his jaw, his fingers tightening around the glass. His head felt too heavy, his chest unbearably tight. The words burned on his tongue, but when they finally slipped out, they shattered.

"Kai cheated on me."

Silence.

The words lingered in the air, raw and bitter. Noah didn't respond right away, and Elias wasn't sure if it was shock or disbelief. He took a shaky breath, gripping the edge of the bar counter as he felt his world collapsing all over again.

"Elias... are you sure? I mean, Kai-he wouldn't-"

"I saw it with my own damn eyes, Noah!" Elias snapped, his voice breaking. The image flashed in his mind again-Kai, tangled in sheets that weren't his, with someone who wasn't him. His stomach twisted. "It was real. He-he didn't even hesitate to throw away everything we had."

Noah could hear the way Elias's voice trembled, the sharp breaths between his words. "Shit, Elias. Stay there, alright? I'm coming to get you."

"Don't-"

But the line went dead.

Elias exhaled shakily, running a hand down his face. He wanted to stop thinking, stop feeling, stop existing in this moment. Every second stretched unbearably long, every heartbeat felt like a painful reminder of what he'd just lost.

When Noah finally arrived, Elias had downed enough liquor to dull the sharpest edges of his pain-but not enough to erase them completely. Noah found him hunched over at the bar, staring blankly at his empty glass. His usually bright eyes were red, swollen.

Noah's chest tightened at the sight. He approached quietly, placing a hand on Elias's shoulder. "Come on, let's get out of here."

Elias didn't argue. He just let Noah guide him out, the cool night air hitting his skin like a slap. The world felt too loud, too bright. He wanted to disappear.

The cab ride back to Noah's place was quiet. Noah didn't push him to talk, didn't ask for details-he just sat there, ready to catch him if he fell any further.

When they reached Noah's apartment, he helped Elias onto the couch before disappearing into the kitchen. A moment later, he returned with a glass of water and some medicine.

"Take this. You'll feel like shit in the morning if you don't."

Elias stared at the glass for a second before taking it. "Thanks." His voice was barely above a whisper.

"You don't have to thank me. You're not alone in this, okay?" Noah sat beside him, his voice soft but firm.

Elias closed his eyes. He wanted to believe that. But right now, all he could feel was the unbearable ache of betrayal.

----------------

The following days passed in a blur of sleepless nights and an ache that refused to fade. Elias tried to act normal, but the weight of betrayal clung to him like a second skin. No matter how hard he tried to push it aside, the memory of that moment-Kai in someone else's arms-kept playing on a vicious loop in his mind.

He gritted his teeth, gripping the edge of the kitchen counter so hard his knuckles turned white. He needed a distraction, anything to dull the firestorm raging inside him.

The sound of the door opening barely registered in his mind until Noah's voice snapped him out of his spiraling thoughts.

"You look like shit." Noah shut the door behind him, eyes scanning Elias's slumped figure.

Elias exhaled a bitter chuckle, running a hand through his hair. "Wow, thanks. That's exactly what I needed to hear."

Noah leaned against the counter, arms crossed. "You wanna tell me what's going on, or should I just assume you've gone three nights without sleep for fun?"

Elias hesitated for a moment before scoffing. "You already know what's wrong." His voice was colder than he intended, but he didn't care. "He broke me, Noah."

Noah's jaw clenched. "Then why do you still sound like you care?"

Elias's fingers curled into a fist at his side. "Because I do!" His voice cracked, raw and unfiltered. "I hate him. I hate him so much, but I still-" He cut himself off, chest rising and falling rapidly. He refused to say it out loud. Refused to admit that despite everything, Kai still had a hold on him.

Noah sighed, his expression softening just a fraction. "Elias..."

"I always thought Kai was different," Noah muttered, his voice laced with frustration. "Guess I was wrong."

Elias let out a bitter laugh. "So was I." He clenched his fists, the memory still raw. "I trusted him completely, and he threw it all away like it was nothing."

Noah shook his head, trying to control his own anger. "You don't deserve this, man. After everything you've given him?"

Elias turned away, his back to his friend as he swallowed the lump in his throat. "You know what's funny?" His voice was hollow. "If he had told me he didn't love me anymore, I would've let him go. If he wanted someone else, I wouldn't have stopped him. But he didn't even have the decency to tell me. Instead, he-" His breath hitched. "He let me walk in on that."

Silence stretched between them.

Then, Noah spoke, his voice low but firm. "So what are you gonna do now?"

Elias exhaled sharply, his hands trembling as he tightened them into fists. His heartbreak had hardened into something else-something colder.

"I'm not going to cry over him anymore," he muttered, his tone dark. "I'm done being the one who suffers."

Noah studied him for a long moment before nodding. "Good."

Noah placed a firm hand on Elias's shoulder. "Then don't let him get away with it. If he thinks he can walk all over you, prove him wrong."

Elias met Noah's gaze, something dark flickering in his own. The pain was still there, but so was the anger, burning hotter than ever.

"He should know what he gets when he messes with me," Elias muttered, a dangerous edge to his tone.

Noah smirked slightly, leaning back. "Now that sounds like you."

Elias didn't smile. He was done hurting. Now, it was time for Kai to feel the weight of his actions.

----------------

Kai didn't return to the university until seven days after the incident.

Elias sat on the edge of his bed, staring blankly at the floor. The past few days had been a whirlwind of emotions-anger, betrayal, grief. But now, all that remained was a cold, steady resolve.

His phone vibrated on the nightstand. A message from one of his classmates.

"Kai's coming back today. Guess he finally grew a spine."

Elias's grip on the phone tightened. So, the coward had finally decided to show his face. He wasn't sure what he had expected-that Kai would vanish forever, too ashamed to return? That would've been easier.

Noah's voice echoed in his head. "Then don't let him get away with it. If he thinks he can walk all over you, prove him wrong."

Elias exhaled slowly, his fingers curling into fists.

There was no hesitation left in him anymore.

When Kai returned, he wouldn't find the same Elias who had once loved him blindly. No-he'd find the one who had learned to hate just as fiercely.

And when that moment came, Elias would make sure Kai felt every ounce of the pain he had caused.

Kai finally decided to come to the university gathering every ounce of courage he had. The moment he stepped onto campus, hushed whispers spread like wildfire. Glances filled with judgment, curiosity, and pity followed him wherever he went. His fingers trembled as he clutched the straps of his backpack, his eyes red and hollow from nights of sleepless torment. He knew this moment would come-the moment he had to face Elias. Face the accusations, the disgust, the hatred. Even though his voice would probably fall on deaf ears, he had to try.

Elias stood by the courtyard fountain, his expression unreadable, but the way his hands clenched into fists at his sides spoke volumes. His gaze flickered to Kai, sharp and piercing, and the moment their eyes met, Kai felt his heart sink into the pit of his stomach.

A cold smirk curled on Elias' lips. "Well, look who finally crawled out of hiding." His voice was razor-sharp, laced with venom.

Kai swallowed the lump in his throat. "Elias... please. I need to talk to you."

Noah, who had been standing beside Elias, took a protective step forward, his arms crossed. "Talk?" he scoffed. "After what you did, you think you deserve that?"

Kai's breath hitched. He looked at Elias, searching for something-anything-that told him he wasn't completely hated. But all he found was coldness.

"It's not what you think," Kai pleaded, voice cracking. "I swear, I never-"

"You never what?" Elias cut him off, stepping closer, his eyes burning with barely contained rage. "Never cheated? Never betrayed me? Don't insult my intelligence, Kai." His voice trembled, and for a moment, it seemed as if his anger was barely holding back something deeper, something broken beyond repair.

Kai's hands balled into fists at his sides. "Please... just hear me out. I-"

"You think I want to hear your excuses?" Elias snapped, his voice rising. "I spent days thinking, maybe there was something I missed. Maybe you had an explanation. But the truth is right there, Kai. And I was the idiot who trusted you."

Noah glanced at Elias, concern flickering in his eyes, but he stayed silent, letting him speak.

Kai felt his vision blur. "I didn't... I couldn't-"

Elias let out a bitter laugh. "Couldn't? You did." His hands curled into fists, and for a moment, it looked like he wanted to throw something, to destroy something, to hurt the way he had been hurt. But instead, he exhaled sharply, his expression hardening. "I should have known better than to think you were different. You're just a worthless piece of shit who doesn't deserve a damn thing."

Kai flinched. The words hit him like a slap to the face, knocking the air from his lungs. His knees gave out, and he collapsed onto the pavement, unable to hold back the sob that tore through him.

Noah placed a hand on Elias' shoulder, his voice quiet. "Come on, man. He's not worth it."

Elias didn't spare Kai another glance. "You're nothing to me now."

And with that, he turned on his heel and walked away, Noah following close behind.

Kai sat there, frozen, feeling like the world had just caved in around him. The person he loved most had just walked away. And worse-Elias had meant every single word.

For the first time, Kai realized-there might not be a way to fix this.

----------------

So folks, here we are with a new book, new characters and a new journey to embark, I had been working on this book for the past one and a half year. This is my first original book, so please shower a lot of love and support like you have shown to my other books.

How was the first chapter? Leave your thoughts here so that I can improve as well.

A relationship of two years and Kai broke it too easily. Elias hates him and why shouldn't he, the boy he loved betrayed his feeling, made fun of it.

But did he?

Who knows?