I vaguely recalled what had happened in the last few hours. I remember Jun calling my name as he all but tore me away from Alex, taking over the reanimation until the paramedics appeared. Then the words “temporary stable” rang in my head as they transported Alex to the hospital in Nassau. I refused to leave his side. I held his hand almost until he had been taken to the operating room. Philip and Jun dragged me away so that doctors could patch me, even though I said I didn't need it. They insisted, and Jun might have even said something about knocking me out if I'd refused. The doctors asked me if I needed painkillers. When I said I wasn't sure, they asked me if I needed something to soothe my nerves. I took neither. I didn't want anything that could dull my senses as I waited for Alex's operation to be over. The surgeon said that the bullet vaguely missed the heart but also that removing it would be complicated. Still, there was a chance. There was hope that he would survive. He had
ALEX Four and a half years later I opened my eyes to see Sarah's gorgeous sleeping face, and my lips instantly stretched into a wide smile. God, I would never have enough of watching her sleep. There were only two other faces I loved more: her face when she smiled and the blushing face that appeared shortly after she reached her climax. Actually, I would gladly work to see that blushing face right now, but I couldn't risk being late today. This day was going to be perfect. I dipped my head to brush my lips against hers. I did it carefully so as not to wake her up. Then I slid out of bed and quietly walked out of our bedroom. Of course, it was way easier to sneak out of our room than to pass Liam's bedroom, and passing the twins' bedroom without them waking up or noticing was nearly mission impossible. Fortunately, none of them decided to wake up at six in the morning on Saturday, and two minutes later, I successfully entered the kitchen. Usually, this place belonged to Sarah. It wa
"The hell with all men!" I stated loudly, raising the glass filled with a rainbow drink, a pineapple slice, and a little umbrella. The bartender gave me a meaningful look, and I giggled. "Except for you, Jarvis," I amended, shakily using my drink to point at him. "You're gay, so you're not part of the evil jerks' population."My veins slowly satiated with sweet liquor. The humming of alcohol gracefully blended with the sound of the ocean waves. It felt pleasant. I wouldn't mind staying in this fuzzy, unbothered state throughout the weekend… "I suggest you slow down with drinking," Jarvis said as his mouth formed a crooked smile.My chin fell and violently rose in a nod. "Yes, sir. That will surely be my final drink for tonight." I shoved a slice of pineapple into my mouth, ignoring Jarvis's pitying stare at me. Swallowing the fruit, I pointed at my drink. "I have a feeling that once I see the bottom of this glass, I will forget my ex's name. Then, it'll be a good moment to stop dri
I opened my eyes and growled at the blinding daylight. I lifted my head an inch or two, but, apparently, my face wasn't ready to say goodbye to the pillow. As the head fell back to its rightful place, my temples turned into taiko drums, and an invisible Japanese guy started to bang the holy shit out of them.I hated hangovers, and this one was clearly the worst one I'd had in years. What the hell was I drinking last night? Molotov cocktails?! My hand slid through the sheets, hoping to reach the bedside table and the aspirin pill I left there yesterday. As soon as I realized that my hand was too short to reach beyond the bed, I began to crawl, inching face-down in worm-like movements. Suddenly, my nose sank into a white, soft fabric. I inhaled the scent, and the agonizing pressure inside my head began to disappear. I took another breath and bit my lip. Something about this scent caused all my female hormones to do happy little somersaults. My nose wandered through the fabric until it g
The breath I took evaporated from my lungs before I could use the oxygen. The next one never reached below my throat. Then I stopped struggling and remained… breathless. His soaking wet hair curled in a mass of unruly dark strands, framing his insanely gorgeous face. These strands had to be somehow programmed to emphasize all the most captivating angles because they made him look twice as alluring. The sun illuminated one half of his face, leaving the other half embraced by a soft shadow. Sweet Jesus… He was the most perfect picture I had ever seen.I wish I could say that I resisted the urge to look lower, but it was beyond my control. Before I realized it, my eyes carefully scanned his heavenly body, covered by devastatingly lingering drops of water. I swallowed a hysteric chuckle and slowly took in his neck, his broad shoulders, his perfectly muscled arms, his firm pecs, his geometrically crafted abs, his irresistible V-line, his—"Fuck…" I wasn't sure if the low, strangled half-cr
I inhaled the scent of the man I decided to marry. Yes, I fully acknowledged the ridiculousness of that decision, but most of my half-conscious body and mind seemed to support it. What he had given me went beyond a physical encounter and beyond making love… It was something magical, something I had never experienced before. I felt precious in his arms, like a gem that needed to be treated with the utmost care. I had tasted emotions I never knew existed, even after being in a three-year relationship with a man who was supposed to love me. It was insane. I had sex for hours, taking a break only to eat a few snacks in bed and then continuing until our bodies were too exhausted to move. And I didn't even know Alex's last name! Somehow that knowledge seemed irrelevant because every second with him felt… right.What if fate existed and brought us together? What if we were meant to be? As hilarious and unbelievable as it sounded, nothing in my life had ever felt as perfect as being together
I had spent the last three weeks searching for my scumbag foster brother. I went to every possible place I thought he might be staying and visited all the people who might have known where he was. All for nothing. I was devastated, exhausted, and, above all, furious at myself for believing him."What did the police say?" Joy asked me as soon as I passed the threshold. When she saw tears gathering in my eyes, she handed me a mug of hot cocoa and led me to the sofa.God, I loved her. She was the only person in that whole messed-up world I could count on. Sniffing, I took a sip of far-too-sweet liquid and faced her. "They said that Bram violated the pre-trial release limitations, so they sent an arrest warrant to other states… He is officially a wanted man, but that also means that my money is gone, and I will never get it back." I bit my lip, trying hard not to start crying.Joy sighed and gave me a wry smile. "It could have been worse."I groaned. "How? I lost all my money. I'm jobless
"What do you mean by pregnant?! I can't be pregnant!" The panic building inside me erupted like molten lava. I glanced at my belly and began to wonder if there truly was something growing inside me.Joy rushed to my bed and grabbed my hand while I sucked hectic breaths, acting as if I were already going into labor. "Sarah, you need to calm down and focus." I heard her serene and even voice. It didn't help.I shook my head. "It… It is impossible!" I burst out.The doctor shrugged slightly. "Unexpected pregnancies happen all the time.""You don't understand!" I panted, my eyes flickering between Joy and the doctor. "I can't be pregnant! I'm on pills!"The doctor blinked a few times before glancing at his tablet and swiping through my medical records. He frowned and then sighed. "The contraceptive pills you've been using have been withdrawn from the market recently due to leading to frequent, well… pregnancies."I felt like someone made holes in my lungs. I had been using the same pills