Why Does 'As Close To Us As Breathing' Have Mixed Reviews?

Shhh… They Will Hear Us.. A Collection of Rated 18+ Stories (Mature Content) It always started with a bad decisio, or even maybe just a bad timing. Three years ago, he was living a dream of successful, independent, and settled in a stunning luxury penthouse overlooking the city. And Now, the money is tighter, the pressure is real, and the lifestyle he built is slowly slipping through his fingers. So when his younger sister, Gretta, gets a job in the same city, asking her to move in feels like the only option left he can offer. It should be simple. Just two siblings sharing space. Right? But it’s not. Because beneath the surface of their normal lives lies something neither of them has ever fully confronted,, something that began years ago during a strange, unforgettable night far from home. A moment that separated lines, shifted perspectives, and left behind a silence they both agreed never to break till then. Now, forced into close quarters together again, that silence feels heavier than ever before. The Old memories resurface. Boundaries feel thinner. And the tension between what’s right and what’s felt becomes harder to ignore and argue. Shhh… They Will Hear Us is a bold collection of mature, 18+ stories that explore secrecy, complicated relationships, inner conflict, desires and the consequences of unspoken desires. These stories are not about what’s said out loud but what hidden in the quiet.

His face is so close, he can almost taste him. His fingers twitch, fighting the urge to grip his hips harder. He never imagined feeling this way about the boy. He tries to fight it, but it's nearly impossible. Something is calling to him. Something is gripping his heart, and tugging it, pulling him toward the boy with an unknown force. ~§~ It's not easy being different from everyone else, or something your parents, and the rest of the world doesn’t want you to be. It's not easy when you love someone everyone says you shouldn't. Diving into the world of homelessness at the age of seventeen was hard. The streets weren't easy, but somehow the young 19-year-old still smiles. The man takes an interest in him. He takes him under his wings, and gives him a place to live. He's different from everyone. He doesn't look down on him. Things become complicated... More complicated than either could have imagined. A life altering news is devastating, and the boy struggles to come to terms with it. It wasn't easy, but he made his pace with it. But will the man make peace with it? Can he let him go? Can he learn how to breathe without him?

After four years of love, Eliana’s world shatters in a single moment when Mike walks away without explanation. Heartbroken and desperate to numb the pain, she makes a reckless decision that changes everything. One tragic night, a drunken stumble leads to a devastating accident that leaves her body broken—and her life hanging by a thread. But when Eliana wakes up, something isn’t right. She can see, hear, and move… yet no one can see her. Trapped between life and death, she watches as doctors fight to save her body while discussing a future she never imagined—one that may cost her more than she’s already lost. Alone in a silent world, she begins to realize that she may not be as alive as she thought. Just when hope seems lost, a mysterious stranger—the same man who saved her life—lingers close, unaware of the connection forming between them. As Eliana struggles to understand her new reality, she must confront the truth about love, loss, and the fragile line between holding on and letting go… before time runs out.

Anne only wanted a new different environment to restart life again while balancing long hospital shifts and a home care job. Sharing an apartment seemed simple enough until she met Joy. Joy is vibrant, unpredictable, and carrying a heartbreak she refuses to talk about. What starts as a simple roommate arrangements slowly turns into something deeper as the two women begin to understand each other in ways no one else ever has. Between late nights conversations, shared secrets and moments filled with unspoken emotions, Anne realizes that sometimes the strongest connections are built in silence But when past relationships and hidden feelings threaten to pull them apart, Anne is caught between loyalty, friendship and the stirrings of love. She must decide whether the quiet between them is just comfort or something more dangerous to her heart.

Two teenagers from two different social classes discover their feelings for one another when a strange viral disease outbreak forced them to mingle in quarantine.

In a city where ambition shines brighter than honesty, Ethan Blackwood has built his life on control. A rising executive with a flawless image, Ethan keeps his emotions tightly guarded, believing that vulnerability is a weakness he cannot afford. Love, if it exists at all, is something distant—something meant for other people. Kai Rivera lives by an entirely different rulebook. A bold, intuitive photographer, Kai sees the world through shadows and light, capturing truths others work hard to conceal. Unafraid of emotion or connection, he moves through life with fearless curiosity—until a chance encounter at a rain-soaked art gallery collides him with Ethan. What begins as a charged glance turns into an undeniable pull. As Kai’s uninvited lens follows Ethan into quiet cafés, crowded elevators, and hidden rooftops, tension grows into something neither of them can escape. Ethan’s carefully built walls begin to crack under Kai’s relentless honesty, while Kai finds himself drawn deeper into a man who refuses to admit how much he wants to be seen. But desire is never simple. Jealousy, misunderstandings, and the pressure of expectations threaten to tear them apart. Forced into moments of uncomfortable proximity, both men are pushed to confront the truths they’ve been avoiding—about fear, identity, and the cost of loving openly. When emotions finally collide, Ethan must decide whether protecting his image is worth losing the one person who sees him completely. Shadows Between Us is a slow-burn BL romance about longing, restraint, and the courage it takes to step out of the shadows. It is a story of two men learning that love does not demand perfection—only honesty.