Twisted love

A familiar scent

Chapter One
Katherine’s POV

Emptiness—complete emptiness—was what I felt in that moment. That cologne, that minty scent combined with that raspy voice was a combination I would always remember. My throat tightened, my blood boiled. Anger, pain, sadness—a wave of emotions consumed me, crashing over me like a tsunami.

This feeling… a feeling I had hoped I would never have to encounter again. But life has a way of hitting you like a bus. I sensed a familiar presence behind me, and it was absolutely terrifying. It was a presence that would linger in the back of my mind forever, one that would haunt me and that I would always fear.

I froze. All my muscles seemed to stop working. I felt weak—completely drained—and my heart felt heavy. I desperately wanted to turn around and face this person standing behind me, hoping against hope that it was just a stranger. Even if it meant I was crazy, I wished to believe I was imagining things. But deep down, I knew there was no denying it; the stranger behind me was my worst nightmare.

"O—" I tried to speak, but even the thought of saying his name made me sick to my stomach.

"Say it. Say my name," the voice behind me commanded. That was the confirmation I needed. There was no denying that it was him. I took a deep breath, turned around, and said it—the name I had dreaded saying for years—“Oliver.”

"There you go Dove," he said, towering over me with that infuriating smirk on his face. Dove... I hadn’t heard that in a long time. It was a name I had cherished because it was his word for me. I never understood why he called me that, but it didn’t matter because I was his... his dove. Hearing it now, after all these years, broke me. He didn’t deserve to call me that anymore; hell, he didn’t even deserve to look at me after what he did. Yet, there he was—the man from my past who left me shattered, standing before me nearly a decade later, looking completely emotionless and unbothered.

I tried to form words, anything would have been better than standing there in complete shock, unable to articulate my thoughts. I hated the idea of him thinking he had any power over me. I struggled to put two words together, but nothing came out.

"What? Cat got your tongue, Kat?" he said, his devilish chuckle echoing in my ears. The nerve he had to show up out of nowhere, cracking jokes after all these years.

"It wasn’t funny then, and it isn’t funny now. And it’s Katherine to you," I said, my voice trembling with fury.

"Ouu, feisty, aren’t we? My sincere apologies. Nice to see you again, Katherine," he replied, opening his arms wide as if to embrace me. Was this a joke? Was I really being gaslight right now? There was no way this was actually happening.

"You're kidding me, right? What the hell are you doing here? Are you stalking me?" I shot back, trying to regain my composure.

"Whoa, easy there, tiger. Stalking? Don’t get ahead of yourself, sweetheart," he said, laughing as if my fear was a joke.

"This has to be a prank," I thought to myself. I was most definitely being set up, or maybe I just needed to check myself into a mental institution for thinking this was real.

"That’s it. I’m calling the cops," I said, pulling out my cell phone, my hands shaking.

"You’re in my home. If anyone should be calling the cops, it should be me," he retorted, his expression suddenly serious.

I froze, completely shocked. What did he mean he lived here? No, this can’t be right. This was Andrew's home. I’d been coming here for years; there was no way Oliver could have lived here... unless... No, it couldn’t be. I’d known Andrew for eight years, and I was sure I would have noticed some resemblance.

Maybe I had accidentally walked into the wrong house. Yeah, that must be it—at least that was a more logical explanation than what was coursing through my mind. Just as I was about to accept that possibility, I heard it— those two words that would complicate everything.

"Hello, brother," Andrew said, stepping into the room with a glass of water which was not shattered into pieces. He stood behind me as we both faced Oliver.

"Nice to see you, baby bro," Oliver replied, a smile spreading across his face.

"Brother?" I stammered, confusion flooding my senses as I stepped back, forcing myself to face both of them. And there it was—the resemblance. How could I have missed this? How could I have been so blind? In that moment, I was overwhelmed. Was this fear that Andrew could be as much a nightmare as Oliver? Anger for not knowing they were related? Sadness for having to face my past?

I stood there, jaw dropped, caught between the man who had shattered me and the one who had saved me.

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Author's Note

This story will be told from the perspectives of three main characters:

Katherine Anthony (age 24)
Oliver Hunte (age 29)
Andrew Hunte (age 25)

This story may include mature content, violence, and themes that may be disturbing to some readers. Please note that this story is entirely fictional, created from the depths of my imagination. Enjoy!

To be continued…