Only Up From Here Novels & Stories

bar slowly move across the screen. ​My phone buzzed. ​Ashton: Just saw Mateo in the lobby. He said the 'Silent Treatment' is working better than a sledgehammer. You okay? ​I looked at the closed door of the 40th floor. ​Hannah: I'm okay, Ash. I think the King is starting to realize how cold it is at the top.

But it was also freeing in a way I didn't anticipate. By Friday, Westbrook called back. "We're proceeding with the vulnerable approach," their CEO said. "Fully. We've done our legal review, and we're confident we can manage the liability appropriately. We're actually planning to expand the vulnerability even further. This is what's differentiating us in the market." Victory. Complete victory. Eli and I celebrated that evening alone. Not a public celebration. Just us, understanding what we'd built together. "You changed," Eli said as we were lying on his couch, his head resting on my chest.

I checked the nearest and cheapest hotels I could stay at for the night and was horrified by the reviews. When I found one with a decent charge and was still open at that time of the night, I placed an Uber and set its location as my destination. I placed a bid on the ride and waited, hoping nearby drivers would pick up the order. None did. I waited for over an hour and yet I hadn't gotten a notification from Uber. It was getting windy and the cold rose till it filled my nostrils. I was ready to give up and head back into the hospital to see if I could pass the night in the reception when my phone beeped.

Please be locked together forever. Soon after, the Bermuda team's official account retweeted and commented on my post, [Birds of a feather flock together. Joseph, Bermuda will always have your back!]

It was a brown big box with paper with a little writing on it. From: Happy Scholarships To: Todd Thomas ' I hope I'm happy in the end,' I muttered sarcastically and slit the seal. I opened the box and saw a white envelope with the same notes: From: Happy Scholarships To: Todd Thomas I took it and checked the back if there were any notes but found none so I just tore open the envelope and took out the letter. It was short and it looked precise. Dear Applicant Todd Thomas, We appreciate your effort and time to apply for Happy Scholarships but we regret to inform you that you were not selected among the chosen. We ask for your patience and understanding. You can apply next year and can be possi

🧁ARIA 🧁 " Mom why are we here ? Why can't we go back home ? " Red fired Questions at me as I passed him takeout for dinner . " We're gonna spend this night at this lodge okay , I promise I'd look for a solution " I said and he frowned . " Did the landlady chase us out already ? He asked sadly and my eyes stung with tears . " It's okay mummy I was tired of staying there anyways this lodge seems nice ... there's a really cute bed " he said and flashed me a grin .

That was the night the thought first came to her, quiet and unwelcome, slipping in somewhere between exhaustion and fear: "What if this problem just went away?" She hated herself the moment she thought it. And then she thought it again anyway. --- She found herself, two nights later, sitting in her car outside a bar on the edge of downtown — the kind of place with blacked-out windows and a name that didn't appear on any map app. She'd heard about it from a girl she used to work with years ago, someone who'd once mentioned, half-joking, that her cousin knew people who could "make problems disappear" for the right price. Chloe hadn't thought about that conversation in years. She thought about

Why would I compromise on it for these people who did not matter? I waved away the glass. “Who said I don’t like you? I simply don’t care about you either way. It’s all a misunderstanding. Still, I can’t drink right now for health reasons.” Nia stepped forward and stuffed the wine glass into my hand. “Health reasons? I never heard anything about that. Jonah is humbly apologizing to you, so can’t you be magnanimous for once? Just drink it!” Her gaze was sharp, and her tone was a command.

I’ve started going soft, another mistake I will not be making again. This was fuelling my anger though. I had not come this far to be dragged backwards into a sorry state where I was a victim again. And yeah, I may not have my brothers or Atari right now, but I am smart and I am strong and I am a fighter. I just need a plan. First, I will need some sleep to get my brain in gear. So that’s what I decide needs to happen next. A nap and then a plan.

I had no clue what to do. I pulled on the sheets as he held the headboard to support himself. I felt a tear "I think- I-Im close" "Yes baby, I know" he says My head when side to side. "I wanna cum" I cried out. "Wait" he roared as he continued his sweet torture. "Now" he says both of us cum. I felt my muscles clench on him and I felt a high. A high I never ever in my life I felt. It was so good.