MasukShe was teary by the end, which made me feel like I'd absolutely nailed it. "I now pronounce you husband and wife," the officiant said. "You may kiss your bride." I pulled Paige into my arms and kissed her while everyone cheered. At the reception, Danny gave his best man speech with way too mu
ASHER I'd performed in front of millions of people, won three acting awards, and done my own stunts in a movie where I nearly died twice. But standing in this room waiting to get married, I was more terrified than I'd ever been in my entire life. Ten dates. That's what I'd told Paige we neede
When my parents came back from their conference, Damon told me he wanted our families to know about our relationship officially. I was nervous, but I agreed. The next evening, everyone gathered in the main living room. My parents, Aunt Sky and her husband, Victor, Ella, Asher and his new girlf
My heart started racing. "Really? You can do that?" "If you have the recording, yes. If not, I can go to Frank and get it from him." "I have it," I said quickly. "I made Frank send it to me. I thought if my dad ever found out and tried to go after Frank's mother, I could use the recording to thr
I'd missed this so much. Missed him so much. "I missed you," he whispered between kisses. "God, I missed you so much. It was driving me crazy." "I missed you too," I breathed. "So much." He lifted me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist as he carried me to the bed. We fell onto the ma
PRINCESS After standing there for a while watching Damon walk away, I couldn't let him just leave. Not after everything. Not after searching for him all day in a wedding dress like some kind of romantic comedy protagonist who'd lost her mind. I followed him into the house and went straight
ESSENCE I stood frozen for a moment, blinking like a deer caught in stadium lights. Did I just hear her say fiancée? My eyes scanned her face, waiting for some twitch of a smile that would tell me this was some kind of joke. But no—this girl was dead serious. Confident, smug, beautiful, and terri
ALEX The hospital smelled like bleach and disappointment. I stood beside Asher's bed, his tiny hand resting in mine. I had paced the floor for hours, called Essence over and over again, but nothing. She didn’t even have the decency to call or explain. My mind was spinning, and the fury that simmer
“Say you’re mine,” he hissed. “I’m yours, Zion.... I’m fucking yours!” He gripped my throat from behind and pulled me upright against his chest as he kept thrusting into me. I could barely breathe, but I didn’t care. I was unraveling, burning alive in his arms. And I didn’t want it to stop.
His entire face was twisted in rage, lips curled, nostrils flaring, like a volcano seconds from eruption. I went closer to him to find out what the problem was. I barely got a word out before he shoved my hand away, his chest rising and falling like a man struggling not to lose his mind. “She left







