Duke University Libraries Novels & Stories

Right before the last full-length practice exam ahead of the SAT, my boyfriend, Blake Romero, who had always ranked in the top ten, somehow ended up with a score of zero. His eyes were red as he clung to me, his voice shaking while he said he had developed severe test anxiety. "Samantha, there's no way I'll get in this year. Can you stay back and retake the year with me? I can't do this without you." Looking at how pale he was, I almost gave in. On my way to the school clinic to grab him some meds to calm his nerves, I accidentally overheard him talking to a girl from a poor family. "Blake, what if Samantha finds out you're lying to her?" His voice turned soft, almost indulgent. "Relax. She loves me so much that she would give up anything for me. Even if she finds out, so what? Besides, her family's loaded. Losing a year won't matter to her. Arrington University only has two spots this year. As long as Samantha doesn't take the exam, those spots are ours." Standing outside the door, I felt as if I had just had a bucket of ice poured over me. So this was his plan! He was willing to ruin my future just to clear the way for the girl he really cared about. What he didn't realize was that Arrington University had only ever been my backup, something I chose just to stay by his side. Without him dragging me down, I could aim for something better.

“Denying me the privilege to taste your body is a death sentence I refuse to accept, especially since all I want is to consume you, all of you till there’s nothing left, Lady bug”… ~   Rhea Hale has spent the last four years paying for a crime she never committed. Blamed for her twin sister’s death and forced to live in the shadow of the girl everyone loved more, Rhea has become an expert at surviving heartbreak, whispers, and loneliness. The only thing keeping her together is the small circle of people who still believe in her innocence. Until the night she catches her boyfriend cheating with her best friend. Humiliated and desperate for a fresh start, Rhea heads to Westbridge University determined to keep her head down and make it through the year unnoticed. That plan is ruined the moment she’s forced to share a dorm with Zander Cole—the university’s hockey captain. Grey-eyed menace with a reputation as cold as the ice he dominates. Zander doesn’t do attachments, and he definitely doesn’t do broken girls. But when his bad reputation threatens his hockey future, he proposes a deal that could save them both: Fake date him for six months, help repair his image, and in return, he’ll make sure no one touches her… well, except him. It should have been simple. Except pretending quickly turns dangerous when stolen kisses become addictive, jealousy turns possessive, and the boy who was supposed to protect her becomes the only one capable of completely ruining her. In a story filled with lies, betrayal, and buried truths, Rhea is about to discover that some secrets were never meant to stay hidden...

After I was abducted by human traffickers, fate led me into the care of a young man.He sacrificed his spot at Harvard University to provide for my education.For my sake, he committed a grave act that landed him behind bars. Once he reunited me with my family, he willingly stepped out of my life. In that tumultuous year, I scoured the world in search of him, nearly driven to madness.When I finally found him, he ignored and pushed me away. In disappointment, I departed, only to stumble upon a surprising revelation -The very person who always claimed I was a burden had secretly kept the hair tie I lost when I was sixteen for many years.

Thya, the daughter of Duke D'Arcy, has the cursed power of being able to see others people's deaths by looking at them in the eye. After all the disgrace that happened to the people around her, she sees her best frien, Avyanna, the next Queen of the Maximillian Kingdom's dying because of a uncurable disease, but she can't tell that to anyone. When her best friend ends up dying a year after that, her brother, Daisuke, ascends to the throne as the new Crown Prince and is set to get his revenge on Thya for hiding his sister's disease from everyone and 'causing' her death. But Thya refuses to interact with anyone for years, blaming herself for having such ability. Later on when the Crown Princess Trials are announced, Daisuke made his parents summon Thya so she is obligated to participate. But afraid that she might end up dying while spending a year in the Imperial Palace, she decides to look at herself in the mirror and confront her fear. To her dismay, she saw her dying by Daisuke's dagger two years from that moment. And that puts her on edge. After all her efforts to runaway go to waste, she has to go and face her best friend's brother and sworn enemy. But little did they know that hatred is the closest feeling to love.

"Please, don't eat me," it begged. The voice was that of angels...Another hand gripped the trunk until finally, another eye appeared. One was beautiful, but now both looked back at me with an intensity that would sear into my soul until the day I died. It was a girl, a tiny girl. Her smell continued to be blown in my direction, and by the gods, I swear they were trying to draw her to me."Creed, an exiled dragon, known for his ruthless fighting and disturbing appearance. The dragon elders deemed him unworthy of a mate, the moon goddess would not grant one that was conceived of r*pe.Odessa, a woman who lost her father to cancer, her estranged mother finds her hours later after her father's death, whisks her away to a fantasy world to repay her debt to the Duke of Vamparia. She is now a mere blood bag, but one night fate was on her side. She escaped the vampire kingdom only to find herself found by a beast who takes her under his wings.Together they will unfold a new love and adventure as they try and defeat the vampires that hold humans hostage, for Creed to get his revenge for the new treasure he wants to call his own. Romance blossoms and even a special twist to make your heart squeeze with warmth.

Alicia Anderson is every man ideal woman, but love was never her forte and she never found herself worth loving. Everything took a turn when she bash into a boy at the welcome back school mixer (Nethean) but little did she know he was a worst type of player. Nethean Adam was an orphan, adopted by he's ruthless Uncle. He's the school renowned player. Love was just a four letter words to him, he's biggest aim was to graduate from university, work hard and become a billionaire, just to make his uncle pay for how he maltreated him. Will Alicia be able to change his ways and get his attention?

"What do you want lecturer? Others might see us!" She snapped out consciously, looking around the sport field to check for any intruder. "What do you think Adrian? I'm doing what I've always wanted." He replied her hotly and smashed his lips on hers, cutting her unaware. He pulled ger closer to himself, blocking off all her resistance and all her senses was wiped off with the promising kiss and at that moment, she forgot all her worries..... Adrian had wanted a normal life is the university, but not until her wicked lecturer was changed and so did her dream.

Will anyone be able to take your heart as a perfect thief? Or will you let that perfect thief to capture your heart completely? Astrid Talitha Abram, a 21-years-old smart girl who managed to get straight A despite being a heavy sleeper has captivates the heart of a well-known basketball player of Haven Eastwood University, Kolten Zedekiel Ashford. He has an undeniable looks that attract a lot of girls in the campus. But his heart is belonged to only one girl whom she considered as a perfect thief, who stole his heart completely. Will their hearts be able to find its way back to where it truly belongs? Will they be able to say the lines, 'cause I know it's you, it's still going to be you'?

I was halfway through a sad cafeteria lunch when a livestream popped up: [Ring toss—whoever lands it gets the dog.] Onscreen, Alverton University's rich-boy squad cracked up, betting on who'd "own" me. Adrian Locke, the student council golden boy, flicked his ring. It landed dead center on my nameplate. "One month. Let's see which owner the little bitch wags her tail for." I closed the stream. Right then, a text from my dad lit up my phone: [Sweetheart, have you chosen your fiancé candidate?] I smirked, snapped a screenshot of the stream, and sent it. [Evaluation complete. All four disqualified.]

Cass is a graduating student of business management in one of the well-known University in city A. Raised in ordinary way of living in small town of city C. She is a simple but attractive kind of beauty and also possess an intelligence that make her standout in her study. During her last semester in city A, she meet a handsome and rich man that she did'nt expect to be his boss after she graduated. And because of her innocence specially in opposite sex, she did'nt know that what her boss was showing to her is already because of his deep affection to her. Will cass can be able to put herself in the world of rich handsome man? Is her ordinary love enough to toughen the relationship that was sprouting.