Novels by Debby

Lexi’s POVClosing shifts always felt heavier than opening ones. My feet ached, my hair smelled like grease and coffee, and my patience was running on fumes. I wiped down the counter one last time, stacked the mugs, and untied my apron like I was shedding a skin I didn’t want to wear home.Tom flipped the sign to CLOSED and shot me a look. “You alive?”“Barely.”He laughed. “You see your boyfriend earlier?”I froze. “He’s not my….”“Relax,” Tom said, grinning. “Rich guy with a fancy jacket that left a tip that made my week.”I grabbed my bag. “He’s just… someone I know.”“Sure,” he said, clearly unconvinced.Outside, the night air was cool and smelled like rain that hadn’t fallen yet. I had just unlocked my car when my phone buzzed.It was Ariana.I smiled before I answered. “Hey.”“Please tell me you’re done with work,” she said, her voice breathless, like she’d been pacing.“Just closed. What’s up?”“Can you come over? I don’t want to be alone right now.”That wiped the tired right

Lexi’s POVThe diner was already loud when my shift started. Plates clattered, the bell over the door rang every few minutes, and the grill hissed like it had a grudge against everyone in the room. It was a normal night. That was the problem. I needed normal.I tied my apron, grabbed my notepad, and told myself not to think about the club or about the way Ethan’s hands had settled on my waist like they belonged there or about the sparks that had startled me enough to laugh it off.I was wiping down a booth when the door opened again.The noise dipped, it was not quiet—just different.I looked up and I was shocked to see who it was. Ethan had just walked in.He didn’t look like he belong here. That was the first thought on every one’s mind. He looked too clean and expensive. His jacket alone probably cost more than my rent. He scanned the room once, found me immediately, and smiled like he’d been expected.Every head turned.A couple at the counter whispered. One of the regulars did

Alex’s POVI dropped Ariana off first.She didn’t argue. That told me more than words ever could.The car was parked outside her building, engine low, city humming like nothing had almost gone wrong. She sat with her hands folded in her lap, coat still wrapped tight around her like armor.“You’re sure you’re okay?” I asked.She nodded. “I will be.”Not ‘I am. I will be.’ I respected that honesty.I leaned over and kissed her forehead, slow and deliberate. “Lock the door. Text me when you’re inside.”“I will.” She paused, then looked at me. “Don’t do anything stupid.”I smiled without humor. “I won’t do anything unnecessary.”She snorted softly. Then she opened the door and walked away without looking back. The second the door shut, I drove fast back to pick up Ethan, calling him on the way to tell him my plan. He agreed. He was going to meet me close by after he dropped Lexi off. When I got to the junction, a few minutes away from Ariana’s house, he jumped into the car with his usua

Ariana’s POV The bass thudded through my bones as I slipped out of the booth.“I’ll be right back,” I said, already standing. Lexi waved without looking up, Ethan was arguing with the DJ about a song, and Alex nodded, his eyes tracking me for half a second longer than necessary.The hallway to the bathrooms was quieter, the music muted by thick walls. The lights were dimmer too, softer, like the club didn’t want you thinking too hard once you stepped away from the chaos.I welcomed the calm.I washed my hands longer than necessary, splashed cool water on my face, and stared at my reflection. My cheeks were flushed, eyes bright. I looked…happy and unburdened in a way I hadn’t been in months.“Get it together,” I murmured to myself.When I stepped back into the hallway, someone blocked my path.At first, I didn’t recognize him. The smell of alcohol hit before his face came into view….then he smiled and my stomach dropped.“Wow,” David slurred. “There you are.”My body went cold, like

Ethan’s POV I didn’t plan to start having feelings for Lexi.That was the first thing I admitted to myself sometime after the third song and the second time she laughed like she wasn’t holding anything back. I’d come out to blow off steam, make sure Ariana didn’t get overwhelmed, and keep Alex from hovering too much. The normal damage control.Then Lexi happened.We were back in the booth when it really hit me. Ariana was sipping water, Alex leaned close to her, quiet and protective in that way he didn’t even pretend to hide anymore. I’d seen that look before. It meant he was locked in.Lexi, on the other hand, had kicked off her heels and was sitting sideways, one leg tucked under her, scrolling through her phone like she wasn’t in a packed club completely unbothered.“You always abandon your shoes like that?” I asked.She glanced up. “You always judge strangers for their survival choices?”“I’m just saying, that’s how you lose shoes.”She shrugged. “They’re cheap. I work at a di

Ariana’s POV We didn’t plan the club night.It started as a joke in the car with Ethan saying something about needing loud music and bad decisions to process the life-altering announcements and somehow it turned into all four of us standing outside a private club downtown an hour later.Alex looked out of place in a way that made sense only to him. His jacket was off and his Shirt sleeves rolled, the watch still on. He had the same calm expression he wore in boardrooms, except now it was mixed with something lighter. Ethan, on the other hand, looked like he had been waiting for this all night. He was already laughing at nothing, already moving to music we couldn’t hear yet.Lexi grabbed my hand before we even got through security. “There is no need for speeches or pregnancy talk. Tonight we celebrate like normal people.”“I don’t think any of us qualify as normal,” I said.She grinned. “Exactly.”Inside, the music hit hard. Bass deep enough to feel in my chest and lights low. Ever