LOGINSnowBrook Valley The smell of cinnamon and sugar filled the kitchen, warm and comforting, wrapping around Melody. She stood by the counter, carefully sliding the last batch of cinnamon rolls onto a cooling rack, her fingers moving with quiet precision.For a moment, she just stood there, staring at them. Golden brown and perfectly glazed, she loved it here in the kitchen. A small smile tugged at her lips, but it didn’t last long. Her chest felt heavy again.It had been a week since the death of her father and three days since he was laid to rest. The thought alone made something twist painfully inside her. She would never get to see him, hug him and kiss me ever again. He'll never get the chance to walk her down the aisle on her big day or even see his grandchild.The thought broke her, and she cries everyday and some nights when she can't sleep, she can hear her mum cry herself to sleep. It was a really hard time for her family and her one escape was baking.She inhaled slowly, pre
The room was a mess of dresses, heels, makeup brushes, and half-open boxes, but neither of them cared. Tara stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the strap of her dress while Melody sat on the bed, staring down at the two options in her hands like her life depended on it.“I don’t know,” Melody muttered, lifting one up. “This one feels like I’m going to church.” Tara laughed but didn’t even turn. “Girl the blue one is better, why are you even holding that big ass dress in the first place?”“Because I think it's pretty, and it's giving the boss chick vibe.”“No,” Tara said, finally glancing at her through the mirror. “It’s not giving a boss chick, it's giving, I just married the pastor.”Melody rolled her eyes. “I don't think you have any idea of what a pastor's wife looks like.”“You bet I do and I don't want you walking into a restaurant looking like you just got back from church.” Tara shot back.That pulled a laugh out of Melody. “Okay, that’s rude,” she said, tossing one dress
Logan woke up to the instant feeling of regret. For a few seconds, he didn’t move. His eyes stayed closed, his body still, as fragments of the night before flickered through his mind. Last night he got carried away and Hanni, who knew he couldn't resist her, took advantage of him. He hated himself for being so weak and gullible.Then he turned slightly, the other side of the bed was empty as he opened his eyes.He stared at the space for a moment, he remembered she said she had a shot early this morning, his best guess was that she left early, not wanting to wake him up. He almost did the happy dance because he just couldn't face her, not after all the dirty things they did together last night.He exhaled sharply and sat up, running a hand through his hair. “Damn,” he muttered under his breath. He needed to get ready for work because he'll be meeting with the members of the board today. They haven't really sat down to have a meeting since his father's death.He got out of bed and head
Logan didn’t realize how fast he was driving until the city lights started blurring past him. His hands were steady on the wheel, but his mind wasn’t.Not even close.Every few seconds, it drifted back to her, he left Melody's house with a boner. The way her voice softened as he massaged her feet. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her, bend her over on the sofa and fuck her so hard she'll beg him not to stop.The way the tension between them had built until it was almost unbearable was sickening. He wanted her so badly but he didn't want to cross the line. She's already made it very clear that she wasn't interested in any form of romance with anyone, especially with him.He exhaled sharply, tightening his grip on the steering wheel. “Damn it,” he muttered under his breath. He let out a quiet breath, shaking his head slightly as he slowed down, turning into his street.He just needed a hot shower and he'll be just fine. But as soon as his car approached the driveway, something felt o
It had been a week. Seven full days since everything fell apart in James’ living room, and for the first time in a long while, Melody felt like she could breathe again enough to get through the day without feeling like something inside her chest was collapsing.The new house helped. Since she and Tara moved into the new house, she's been happier. She's been running and taking long walks in the quiet streets consistently for four days now and it had helped her a whole lot. She wasn't always tired like she used to be. And now Tara has been very intentional about what she ate, she's been eating more vegetables and fruits than junks.She needed this new house because it was a breath of fresh air for the two of them. It was a very beautiful house and she had a little study corner. She and Tara almost started decorating the nursery but decided it was still too early.Boxes had come and gone. Furniture had been arranged, rearranged, argued over with Tara, then arranged again. The walls had
The airport was loud, James loved traveling but he hated airports. The only thing he needed now was to lock himself up in a dark room and just stay there for as long as he could.Announcements echoed faintly overhead, rolling one after the other in a calm, almost robotic voice. Suitcases dragged across polished floors. People talked, laughed, argued, and reunited.Life was moving, and somehow, he felt completely disconnected from it. James sat in one of the waiting chairs, a magazine open in his hands, though he hadn’t turned the page in the last ten minutes his eyes were on it even though he wasn't reading it.His mind kept dragging him back. Back to last night, back to her. Back to the look on Melody’s face when he told her he was leaving.His jaw tightened slightly. He didn’t have a choice. That was what he kept telling himself over and over again.Because the alternative? The alternative was admitting that maybe, just maybe he had made the wrong call. And he couldn’t afford that r
Melody woke up this morning with home sickness. She hadn't felt this way even when she first left SnowBrook for New York. She wanted nothing more than to be in the midst of her family during this festive season.She stared at the ceiling of the bedroom she shared with Logan, the gigantic chandelier
Logan walked out of the bedroom and didn’t look back. The tension from the yacht still sat heavy in his chest, pressing down with every step he took across the polished floors of the beach house. His thoughts were a storm he couldn’t calm. Hanni. Melody. Hanni again. He sank into the familiar leath
NEW YORK Tara didn't know when she slept off last night. She had a great time with Daniel and his family. She opened her eyes, still feeling sleepy. The light from the opened curtain made her squint.She heard the door open and Daniel walked inside, balancing a wooden tray on his hands. He placed
Melody apologized softly, almost mechanically, saying she needed to get back home. Her voice didn’t sound like her own when she said it. It sounded thin. Controlled, like she was holding something back that would shatter her if she let it out. Since she got back from the bathroom, she hasn't been h







