Novels by Keona

[Maddox]I took a step back and forced out a shaky laugh. “Are you sure you heard yourself?”Damian took a slow step forward. “Crystal clear.”I was still trying to wrap my head around this version of him. Who the hell was this Damian? And why was I so damn excited to peel back every layer? I was officially weird.“Damian, if this is some kind of joke, or you’re just trying to scare me and make fun of me, I’m really going to take offense.”His expression didn’t flicker. “Your last chapter was trash, like I said. But it ended on a very hot note.”He paused, waiting for me to respond. I couldn’t. My voice had completely deserted me.“I need you to show me,” he continued. “Show me exactly how you wrote that last chapter.”I blinked. “You mean… like explain how I wrote the scene?”He shook his head and took several measured steps back, giving me space that somehow felt even more dangerous. “No. I mean the way you had Nate touching himself while thinking about Quinton. All the things he wa

[Maddox]I couldn’t wait to be in a space where Damian wasn’t. What with my heart threatening to rip out of my chest whenever he smiled down at me. If he continues to be this nice, I might kiss him and think of the aftermath later.He could actually hold conversations without trying to bail. And I saw how his face lit up whenever I asked him a question about him or hockey. I’m telling you right now, he’s cute. God! I’m screwed.No, for real, I’m screwed for being late to Professor Ken’s class, and I hate being called out on, which is happening now.“Why not let people who are eager to learn do that in peace instead of disrupting my class by being late?”It’s not that deep, I swear. But everything is always deep with Kenneth. Oh, maybe I could use some extra marks in his class.“I’m deeply sorry, it won’t happen again,” I managed in front of the whole class.Something that has never happened to me. All because I got carried away with some captain.“You wanna keep standing?”“Of course

[Damian]Practice ended early today. Mostly because my head was actually in the game for once, but mainly because I knew who was waiting for me outside.Ever since the semester started, Coach has been riding my ass. I've been distracted, out of sync, and barely holding it together during drills with the rest of the guys. But today was different. I practically forced Maddox to come down to the rink. I had a whole plan laid out in my head: keep him close, play it cool, and for the love of God, don't act like an asshole.Getting him a job with our team was the easiest way to start. But now that he was actually here, my entire body was wired, buzzing with the sheer thought of him waiting just beyond the locker room doors."Dude, you’ve been staring at that wall for like... two years," Auther said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.I snapped out of it, throwing a sharp glare his way, though a stupid smile ruined the tough-guy act.Auther just shook his head, pulling his jersey over his hea

[Maddox]“You’re doing a great job with my boys. You aren’t even a professional yet, but you’re already doing amazing. “Coach Clinton sighed like he felt I wasn’t really following. “You’ll only be assisting their physiotherapist until his assistant gets back from his honeymoon, then you can leave. Though…” He chuckled. “I doubt my brother will let you go once he sees how good you are.”“And what did you say?” Daniel asked as we walked through the supermarket aisles after I told him about my meeting with the swimming coach.“Nothing.” I grabbed a jar of instant coffee from the shelf and dropped it into my basket.Daniel stopped walking. “Nothing?”“I told him I’d think about it.”He stared at me like he was deciding whether murder was worth the prison sentence.“I mean…” I cleared my throat. “Why does their physiotherapist have to go on a honeymoon anyway?”“I mean…” Daniel rolled his eyes so hard I was surprised they didn’t fall out. “Why won’t you take the job?”“It’s three hundred

[Maddox]Holidays seem to fly by like a train, while school months crawl by like snails. I mean, who even invented school?Tell me why I’m back in my dorm room. Tell me why I’m already planning to succumb to depression with classes again. Oh well, I have to become a physiotherapist and make my mother’s dreams come true.Sigh. ‘What about yours?’I shook my head and locked that voice in the farthest black box in my mind.Being back on campus should have felt like a relief after the lake house. No more walking on eggshells around Damian’s sudden mood swings. No more forced family time where Edward tried playing happy dad while Damian looked ready to explode.But the relief only lasted about five minutes before the guilt settled back in like an old friend I couldn’t shake.Every time I pictured my mom’s face these days, that real, glowing smile she finally had again after ten long years, my stomach twisted. What would she say if she ever discovered the truth? The anonymous stories. The

[Damian]Hurting Kason badly enough for him to end up in the ER with a broken arm wasn’t exactly in my plans. That’s a half lie and half truth. I never expected to see him there, and I definitely never expected him to be an asshole to Maddox.That was my whole problem. Him calling me names wasn’t the issue.The way Maddox froze and flinched when Kason tried getting close to him did something to me. It woke up the monster inside me, the one that seems to crawl out whenever someone gives Maddox shit.Except me. I don’t want anyone hurting him. Maybe me a little? But not like that. He was my crush before he became my brother… stepbrother.Calling Maddox my crush felt like a crime. Well, because he’s my stepbrother now. How the fuck did I miss that? I swear I stalk him every fucking day. How did I miss him meeting my father? It just doesn’t add up.I was fine with watching Maddox from afar because he was too perfect to keep close.Those stupid blue-green eyes, the prettiest combination I’