ログインKYLIE I didn't realize how hard I'd been biting the bottom of my lip until I could practically taste the copper in my mouth. I stood there, my legs feeling like they were rooted to the floor, looking from Liam’s ice-blue eyes to the rest of the gods sitting in that semi-circle. My heart was pounding a hard rhythm against my ribs, but my brain was still trying to catch up with the reality of the situation. Finally, my gaze shifted to my pathetic, backstabbing boyfriend. "Ethan?" I asked, my voice coming out steadier than I felt. "What the hell is the meaning of this? Why are you standing back there like you’ve lost your damn mind?" I watched him. I watched the man I’d loved for years swallow so hard I could see his Adam’s apple bob painfully. He looked stupid. He looked nervous, sweaty, and—for the first time in our relationship—totally and completely guilty. This wasn't the guy who’d taken me to prom or the same guy who’d held me close to himself after countless nights of pas
KYLIE My fingers were working nonstop on the keyboard of my laptop as I tried to round up my assignment. My heart was repeatedly doing that weird, fluttering double-tap against my ribs, and my vision was slightly beginning to blur from staring at the black-and-white text of my sociology paper for six hours straight. I didn't want to get on Professor Miller’s bad side this early in the semester; starting my sophomore year with a late submission was a one-way ticket to a "C" and a lot of condescending office hour chats. I slumped back in my chair, letting out a long, deep breath after I finally clicked on “send.” The soft hum of my laptop fan was the only sound in my dorm room until my phone buzzed against the wooden desk. The vibration sounded like a jackhammer in the quiet space. I reached for it, squinting at the screen. It was a text from Ethan. Can you come over? Like, right now? I rolled my eyes so hard I almost saw my own brain. I tossed the phone back onto the desk wi
CARLA The air in the kitchen was thick enough to choke on. I knew the risk. My mom could burst through that door at any second—she was always forgetting something —but the danger only made the blood rush faster through my veins. It only made me all the more excited. It was thrilling. It was the most alive I’d felt since the day he moved in. I closed my eyes for a second, letting the tension peak, and then I leaned in. I pressed my lips against his. They were soft, yet firm, tasting faintly of the coffee he’d probably had earlier. For a heartbeat, Blake remained perfectly still. He was like a statue, unmoving and unresponsive. My heart sank for a second, and I felt the first sting of embarrassment. I opened my eyes slowly, figuring his lack of movement was my cue to back out and pretend the whole thing had been a very extreme joke. But just as I started to pull away, his hands shot out. His strong, calloused fingers wrapped around my waist with a grip that was borderline posse
CARLA I stepped out of my bedroom, the floorboards cold against my bare feet, and the scent of sizzling butter hit me before I even reached the hallway. I didn't need to check the time to know my mom was not home. She’d been pulling double shifts at the clinic for a week, trying all her best to build a future for us. I used to think her version of a future was as bleak as her taste in fashion, or anything but two weeks ago, that changed. I rounded the corner into the kitchen and stopped dead. Blake was right there standing by the stove, his back to me. He was shirtless, wearing nothing but a pair of low-slung grey sweatpants that clung to his hips in a way that should have been illegal. He was flipping an egg with a spatula, his movements fluid and precise, like he was a professional chef in some five-star kitchen instead of a guy making breakfast in a suburban ranch house. The morning sun streamed through the window, catching the sheen of sweat on his skin. Every time he
SYDNEY I swallowed nervously, my heart hammering a rhythm so loud it felt like it was echoing off the velvet-covered walls of the VIP suite. Then the door creaked open with a slow groan and two figures stepped out of the shadows. As they walked into the soft, crimson glow of the light, my eyes widened, and the air in my lungs suddenly felt like it had turned to lead. The recognition hit me hard. My breath caught in the back of my throat, and I felt the room tilt just a little. I turned to Camden, my voice a shaky whisper. "You did not..." Camden didn't look a bit surprised. He just leaned back, a dark, triumphant smirk playing on his lips. "I told you I wanted this to be special, Syd. I told you I wanted to give you something you’d never forget." I turned back to the newcomers. My legs felt like they were made of jelly as I stood up. Stepping toward me was a man I had seen a thousand times, but only through a backlit screen in the dead of night when Cole was halfway across
SYDNEY The steam curled around me in thick, lazy ribbons as I stepped out of the bathtub, my skin flushed in a deep, rosy pink from the heat. I swiftly grabbed my plush white cotton robe and slid into it, the fabric feeling like a cool caress against my damp shoulders. As I stood there, humming a mindless pop song I’d heard on the radio, I caught my reflection in the full length mirror by the wall. Today was my wedding anniversary. Five years. A “milestone,” as my mother would call it. But as usual, Cole was nowhere to be found. He was currently thirty thousand feet in the air or already touching down in Beijing for a very crucial business trip that apparently couldn't wait for a single night of domestic bliss. Plus he’d be there for the next two weeks. Two good weeks. I’d gotten used to the empty side of the bed. I’d gotten used to the expensive "I’m sorry" jewelry that showed up via FedEx three days late. But what I hadn't gotten used to—and what I refused to accept—was
LESLIEMy stepfather's house always felt like the actual tomb it was whenever my mother was away on business. But tonight, the silence was particularly heavy. It felt somewhat mournful. Plus I'd been having this unsettling feeling, and something in my gut told me I wasn't safe. Suddenly, I heard a
TARYNThe hum of the G650’s engines was a low-frequency vibration that I felt in the soles of my feet and the marrow of my bones. Most people think being a private flight attendant is about the prestige, the layovers in Ibiza, or the crispness of the uniform. For me, the uniform was just the wrapp
SOPHIA When he moved to take me, it wasn't with the hesitation of a lover; it was with the absolute certainty of someone who was sure of the power they possessed. He gripped my thighs, his hands so large they nearly met around the circumference of my skin, and lifted my knees towards my chest. Th
SOPHIA The kiss deepened desperately with every breath I took. His lips squeezed mine, stealing the breath right out of my lungs. I was overwhelmed by the intensity, heat and most importantly, the passion. I melted into him, my hands sliding up his chest, fingers curling into his shirt like I’d be







