SHE STOOD BY ME

Patricia, a hard working and diligent nurse. She had the looks, body, brains, compassion and any thing a man would ever need from a woman. But lacks one thing LOVE! Scared by her past relationship experiences, Patricia decided to stay celibate, until love comes knocking at her door, if there is any such thing as love. Love to her is an illusion, and if perchance love exist, it is only for selected people. Love comes knocking at people’s door, at different times, and unexpectedly. It also knocks in different ways, in different people’s lives. Even those who don’t believe in love, can hear the knock of love at their door, at any time. But the question is............. WILL PATRICIA OPEN HER DOOR AND EMBRACE LOVE? IS HE THE ONE DESTINED FOR HER? OR WILL HE BECOME A FRAGMENT OF HER IMAGINATION? Find out in...... STAY WITH ME By Ekpot Goodnews

For two years, Maya loved a man who looked like forever. Caramel-skinned, radiant, loyal to a fault she gave Daniel her heart, her time, her prayers. But while she was building a future, he was building secrets. Three of her friends. Whispers at her workplace. A pregnancy he denied. Public charm. Private betrayal. She knew. She just waited. On the very day he planned to meet her parents for her knocking, Maya chose dignity over drama and walked away without ever looking back. Six months later, she meets Ethan. Steady. God-fearing. Intentional. The kind of man who prays before he pursues and protects before he possesses. With him, love feels different, safe, consuming in the right ways, and deeply passionate within covenant. But healing isn’t linear, and the past doesn’t stay buried forever. When Maya relocates for work and unexpectedly finds herself face-to-face with the woman Daniel once denied and when Daniel himself resurfaces desperate, broke, and full of regret old wounds threaten new peace. This time, however, Maya is not the woman who stayed silent. She is married. She is chosen. She is covered. And she will not be moved. She Knew, But She Waited is a powerful faith-based romance filled with betrayal, suspense, guilt, sensual covenant love, dramatic confrontations, and the kind of passion that only comes from being truly seen and truly safe. Because sometimes the greatest revenge isn’t exposure. It’s elevation.

At my best friend Grady's wedding, the bouquet landed right in my arms. Grady slid over, eyebrows bouncing. "Do you know how hard I worked to get Amanda as a bridesmaid? Dude, you've been into her for seven years. Go confess already." I froze, bouquet in hand. The thing Grady didn't know? Amanda Sheffield and I had been secretly dating for a year. I'd thought my years of pining had finally paid off. Then I told her we were done unless she bailed on the date her family set up. She just smiled, totally unbothered. "Ryder Reed, you've loved me for seven years. You really think you can walk away?" The memory cut out. Then Amanda came over, yanked the bouquet from my hands, and handed it to the guy beside her like it was nothing. She took one look at my face and lifted a brow, smug as hell. "See? You can't leave me."

I have a secret. When I touch someone, I see the face of the person they love most. Since Natalie moved in next door when we were seven, I always saw myself in her heart. At eighteen, when she held my hand—it was me. At twenty-two, when she proposed—it was me. On our wedding night, when she kissed me—it was still me. On the morning of our third anniversary, I fixed the hem of her dress. My fingers grazed her ankle. Out of habit, I closed my eyes. This time, I saw two faces. Mine. And some guy I'd never seen before. That night, Natalie's phone lit up. [Thanks for spending today with me, Natalie.] Twenty-one years. A hundred thousand touches. And for the first time, I was wrong.

I woke up in the middle of the night to find my wife crying and begging me to let her see that young man one last time. "I’ll come right back after seeing him one last time. Please, I’m begging you." In our seven years of marriage, this was only the second time she’d spoken to me in such a pleading, ingratiating tone. The last time was when I caught the kid running out of her office, his clothes in disarray. Afraid I’d make a scene, she grabbed my hand and pleaded, "Honey, I promise I’ll cut him off. Please don’t divorce me. I’ll die without you." So, I gave her another chance. Just as she promised, she devoted herself to our family, becoming the perfect wife everyone admired. Until today. I turned on the bedside lamp, looked into her eyes, and told her seriously, "Go. Don’t leave yourself with any regrets." I had no regrets left. I hoped the same for you.

For years, I’ve shut off my emotions, too scared to bare my heart to someone else. Because the last female I trusted, broke it into pieces and scattered it around for me to pick it up. Work is the only thing that kept my head sane. That is until she walked in. She was no longer a shy teenager, but a beautiful and confident woman. I should’ve known resisting her was impossible. But, it happened too quickly for me to comprehend. Arianna Swanson lights my dark world with a simple smile. I see her and I see hope. My heart doesn’t hurt when I’m around her. But she is off-limits. My cousin's best friend. I should’ve stayed away because she deserved better. I tried and succeeded until one day, her lips whispered my name. I’m not the man she needed while nursing a broken heart, but I am drawn to her like a moth to the flame. Then, I caught the web of deception around her and that brings out my protective instincts at full force. And I realize I’m exactly the man she needs now. This is a standalone HEA romance novel with no cliff-hangers