Whisked Away

Chapter 1: Cracks in the Perfect Picture

The kitchen was loud, chaotic, and steaming hot—just the way Sky liked it. Her knife moved in perfect rhythm, slicing through the mountain of onions in front of her. The sharp aroma stung her eyes, but she barely noticed. She was in the zone. The hum of sizzling pans, clattering plates, and shouted orders surrounded her like a familiar symphony. In this space, everything made sense.

Except today, something felt... off.

Sky glanced up, her gaze wandering across the bustling kitchen to the clock on the wall. Jake's volleyball game would be over soon. He'd probably text her with his usual post-game rundown—how many points he scored, whether or not they won, what his teammates did that made him laugh. It was their routine, one they had perfected after years of being together.

She smiled faintly at the thought, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. Lately, their conversations felt like an old script—predictable, reliable, comfortable. Safe. But also lacking a certain spark.

The oven timer beeped, pulling Sky back to the present. She opened the door, carefully pulling out the tray of golden roasted vegetables, the heat hitting her face in a wave. As she set the tray down, the kitchen door swung open, and in walked Kito Ryder.

He was new. A week, maybe two, since he joined the crew, but he already owned the space with his confident stride and cocky grin. The tattoos peeking from under his rolled-up sleeves and the gleam of a lip ring made him look out of place in this upscale kitchen, but somehow, he fit. Or maybe it was that he didn't care if he didn't fit. That alone caught her attention.

"Need help with that?" Kito's voice cut through the noise, his eyes glancing at the tray in front of her.

Sky raised an eyebrow, her grip on the spatula tightening. "I've got it," she said with more bite than she intended.

Kito smirked, not bothered by her tone in the slightest. "Alright, just offering," he said, lifting his hands in mock surrender before sauntering off toward the grill station.

Sky watched him for a moment longer than she should have, taking in the effortless way he moved—quick, but unhurried. It wasn't the first time he had offered to help, and it wasn't the first time she had brushed him off. There was something about Kito that threw her off balance, like a wild card she couldn't quite place in the deck.

Shaking off the thought, she returned her focus to her work. As the minutes ticked by, the knot in her stomach grew. It wasn't Kito that unsettled her—it was everything. The kitchen, her career, her relationship with Jake. Was this it? Was this what she wanted her life to be?

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, snapping her back to reality. She pulled it out, expecting to see Jake's name light up the screen. Instead, it was her younger sister, Ash.

Ash: "Dinner tonight? Jake's coming too?"

Sky's chest tightened. Ash and Jake had always gotten along well. Sometimes, Sky thought Ash liked Jake more than she did. Or at least more than she should have. They had a bond that, in some ways, felt stronger than Sky's own with her boyfriend of five years.

Sky hesitated before typing back.

Sky: "I'll see if I can make it."

She slid the phone back into her pocket, the unresolved thoughts still nagging at her. She should be happy. She had everything—an amazing boyfriend, a steady career path, and a supportive family. But lately, all of it felt like a box she was stuck inside, perfectly wrapped but suffocating.

Across the room, Kito caught her eye again, and for a brief moment, Sky allowed herself to wonder: what would it be like to break free?