Shel Silverstein Sidewalk Ends: Poems Novels & Stories

I get approached for legal representation by my ex-boyfriend, Dante Romano, once I become the most prominent lawyer in the country. I am Dante's secret lover—the woman he could never openly claim—four years ago. I am unable to reveal our relationship, receive a ring, and am forbidden from ever setting foot inside the Romano Famiglia estate. It is because of the century-old tradition governing the Romano Famiglia—only a woman who rolls a 20 on the 20-sided gold die 20 consecutive times can become the Donna of the Romano Famiglia. I try countless times over the course of four years, yet every single roll lands on a "one". I eventually become the laughingstock of the entire eastern side of the country, with them claiming I don't have what it takes to become the Donna. However, the return of my foster sister, Sofia Conti, changes everything. She casually tosses the die and rolls a "20" 20 times in a row, securing her engagement to Dante that same night. It is only later that Dante confesses to me. "I tampered with your golden die so that it would always land on a 'one,' Elena. Sofia comes from an ordinary background and needs a legendary story to earn her place in this world. You understand why I did it, right?" It turns out that four years of my humility, struggles, and being a laughingstock are nothing more than a stepping stone he paves for another woman. I leave Kingsbay and head to Ravenport alone while they celebrate their wedding of the century, starting from scratch as a low-level intern. Four years later, I eventually become a legendary lawyer with an undefeated record. Dante suddenly arrives at my office to plead his case, pushing a half-million-dollar check toward me while saying, "You're the only one who can win this, Elena." I look at him and smile faintly. I then pull open a drawer and place the same 20-sided gold die from years ago right in front of him. "I'll represent you as long as you roll a '20' 20 times in a row."

Hiding your fantasies is hard, especially when your best friend features in every one. I'm the good, innocent girl with a guilty obsession for erotic books. And the man who fuels all those fantasies? My best friend. Those veiny hands set my thighs on fire, and his deep voice twists my insides with desire. But he never knew. And I could never tell him– not when he flirts with everyone and only sees me as his baby sister. Until one reckless night of drinks and games lands me in his bed. Now I’m not sure I ever want to leave. But best friends shouldn't touch you like this. Best friends shouldn't make you squirt this good. But when a sudden arranged marriage threatens to tear us apart, our secret is exposed in a blaze of scandal, turning stolen moments into a bitter need for revenge. So how do I explain this to my parents? Since they still think I'm a virgin?

“Omega, in about an hour, you’ll feel warm, dizzy, and overcome with hormones in your body.” I paled. “What happens after it takes effect?” “Then an alpha in the surrounding area will react to your scent.” After an hour, the nurse popped her head in. She had a strange look in her eyes and I didn’t like it. “So he is out there?” The nurse’s smile fell, “No, not one.” My eyes widened. “two?” “No, you have four mates.” I shook my head. “No, that’s not possible!” She sighed and opened her phone. “Your mates are as follows; Colby Mcgrath, Rain Kim, Matthew Clark, and Jade Johnson.” When she said the first name I started to feel faint but then the nurse kept rattling off all the names of my tormenters for years. How could I be tied to all of my brother’s friends? My panties got wet, I refused to accept that this was a hormonal reaction.

My younger brother, Luke, committed suicide after being falsely accused of plagiarizing Layla's brother's music. My own life was a living hell. I was a respected music critic, but now I was the sister of "the plagiarist." My reputation was in tatters. My colleagues whispered behind my back, and my articles were dismissed as the ramblings of a biased, grieving relative. The one person who had always stood by me was my husband, Julian, a successful music producer. We had been together since college, and he was my rock, my refuge in the storm. I thought he would believe me. But, he didn't. But the real betrayal came the evening, just another day of being ridiculed online, I came home to find Julian on the phone. His voice was low and urgent, laced with a coldness I had never heard before. "The case is closed, Layla. It’s over," he said. "The evidence has been submitted. No one will ever know that it was your brother who plagiarized Luke's music."

As panic sweeps through the city and everyday streets collapse into chaos, Ciprian is driven by one unshakable instinct: protect Adam at all costs. When an unexplained catastrophe turns the urban landscape into a pressure cooker of fear and survival, nothing matters more than keeping his best friend alive. In this fast-paced short story, a sudden crisis forces two friends to confront more than danger. As tension rises and the city descends into disorder, buried emotions, unspoken attraction, and complicated feelings come to the surface. What begins as survival quickly becomes something deeper, binding their fates together in ways neither of them expected. Set against a backdrop of urban collapse, panic, and uncertainty, this emotional short fiction explores friendship, loyalty, and love under pressure. Perfect for readers who enjoy character-driven stories, disaster scenarios, slow-burn emotion, LGBTQ+ themes, and intimate moments set during world-altering events. A gripping short story about connection, courage, and the fragile line between friendship and something more—meant to be read in one sitting, but felt long after.

The cousins: “Oh shit yall back! We thought yall got tired of the foolishness we got going on, because we sure as shit, done got tired of the bullshit ourselves. We thought yall was gonna be quick about it, but it’s been a minute. So anyway Even though yall been gone long, I might as well tell you now, we still haven't had a chance to enjoy shit; not a damn thing. Do you know why? I can tell you why, it's because for some fucking reason supernatural motha fuckas are always mad about something. I mean they don't like nobody, all they want to do is kill folks, kidnap you, impregnate, or try an force you to be with them. Did I miss one? It don't matter you get where this is going. Now I know some of yall really wish we could get some peace some rest and some di…” “GOD DAMNIT MINA! WE HAVEN'T EVEN STARTED YET AND YOU BEING NASTY ALREADY!”

Delaney Thorne does not expect her life to be turned upside down in just one night, by two alpha kings—Kai and Ronan, her father's closest friends. They take her forcefully from her home under the guise of protection and thrust her into a world of power, secrets, betrayal, tension, hatred, love and lust. She finds herself under their mercy, and at the centre of the danger that lurks in and around the kingdom. Torn between rage, revenge, desire and survival, Delaney must choose either to fight the pull of the two kings who are almost her father's age and lose their protection, or surrender her freedom to them. Two Twin Alpha Kings, one girl, forbidden relationship with reckless age gap and they never learned how to share.

Jake, the guy I used to work with. The guy that I had unspoken tension and chemistry with from the first day we met. I say unspoken because nothing was ever said or done about it at the time. Why? because we were both in relationships. The last time I saw him was over a year ago, and a lot has changed since then, well some things. I was single, he was still taken, and that should be enough to keep me at bay, right? Wrong! One night we meet at the club and everything changes. I become the kind of woman I never thought I was, the kind to go after another woman's man. And he becomes something he never thought he was either, a cheater. It was only supposed to be a one-time thing, but it was like the moment we had a taste, we keep coming back for more. Temptation is a hard thing to fight, and I guess in this case, it is a fight that we both lost.

Two years after the accident, my husband Derek can no longer touch me. His love hasn't changed. But his body has. He says he wants me happy. He just never said happy with someone else. Then his two best friends move in to help. Luca is all sharp suits and sharper smirks. He looks at me like I am already his. Eli is quiet, intense, his touch lingering a heartbeat too long. I swore to honor my vows. But Derek keeps pushing us together. A dinner meant for two becomes four. A goodnight kiss on my forehead from him. Last night, Luca caught me alone in the kitchen. His hand on my waist. His whisper against my ear. He asked if I was shaking from fear or want. I did not push him away. Now my husband has proposed the unthinkable. He wants me to share myself with them. He wants to watch. Three men under one roof. One forbidden wife. And I am terrified of how much I want to say yes. Shared by My Husband's Best Friends is a steamy first-person forbidden romance with a why choose ending. No cheating. My husband asked for it.

“ I know it's him.” Celeste said to Godric with a trembling breath. The billionaire tapped the edge of the desk rhythmically, his mind going over the many ways to counter his latest rival. *** What if she had unknowingly married a serial killer? What if he's returning to finish up what he started? From a broken marriage to a bloody haunt, with a death sentence hanging over her head, and terminally ill, Celeste returns from captivity, but her home is gone and nothing is left. She rents a car, driving to nowhere, and collides with Mr. Godric Banks. The billionaire has a twisted opinion of women, but for the first time, he came across a woman who asked for death with a tired smile and something broke inside him. She is devastated by life, and he is devastated by her pain. When her ex returns, she knows she wasn't supposed to survive, and the hunt has just begun. Celeste could fight the devil on her own, or take the hand of Godric Banks, another killer with a dangerous secret.