Single Heart Novels & Stories

and a lemon juice for herself. "'Heartbeat 141' is supposedly the owner's special cocktail. They say your heart rate reaches 141 when you're in passionate love. Try it," Zia clinked glasses with me and continued, "But for someone like me with congenital heart disease, I can never drink alcohol in this lifetime. Maybe I'm not suited for intense love either. What does being drunk feel like? I'm quite envious that you can live so freely." "Did you study medicine because of your heart condition?" I took a sip of the Heartbeat 141. It was strong, with a tropical fruit aroma, but quickly followed by a bitter taste.

"Nice pick, Dr. Clayton." "Please call me Noah." "Being a popular cardiologist at the age of 28.. pretty impressive. What makes you want to be a cardiologist?" I put down my wine glass and put my attention fully to him. "I lost my little sister to heart complications 20 years ago so that made me want to save people who have heart problems." He swirled his wine glass. "I bet she's happy to have a great brother like you. You're saving people now." "How about you? You have a passion for cars." He put down his wine glass and turned to me.

“Earlier, you said you feel like we’re in different worlds, but you’re wrong. Values can vary from person to person. “I can be high and mighty, but I can also lower my profile for the person I like. If you think it’s unfair to drag me into your so-called world, I can level your world so that there’s no turning back. That way, you can come to mine with ease.” He raised his eyebrow and added, “In fact, there has never been your world or my world; we live in the same world. The human heart is the best weapon to control a person. As long as there are feelings, no barrier can’t be broken through. The reason you’re dividing us into two different worlds is that your trust in me isn’t enough to supp

I don't think I'd ever get the opportunity to have him this close to me if he ever found out what I was up to. "You look pretty, Skylar," For the first time in weeks, he said my name, and it hit a spot it shouldn't have. I felt my heartbeat pick up an unusually fast pace as we stared into each other's eyes. Why was my heart beating this way? These were dangerous heartbeats. I shouldn't be loving Alfredo Miller again, but here I was, totally smitten by him. I forced myself to believe that I didn't love him because I was mad at him, but the truth was I never stopped loving him. All those years, it was there somewhere hidden in my heart, waiting for the right time to sprout again.

Jesse blinked at the gleaming marble floors, the crystal chandeliers, the fresh-cut orchids arranged like art installations. "You live here alone?" he asked. Alina walked ahead, heels tapping like a ticking clock. "Alone is underrated." As they passed through a gallery hallway-lined with modern art that probably cost more than his old neighborhood-Jesse stopped in front of a sculpture that looked like two twisted metal hearts. "What's this one called?" "'Affection Fatigue,'" Alina said dryly. "By a French artist who only works during breakups." "Cheerful." She shot him a look. "You'll get used to it. Come on."

Ruben stepped in, quiet, removing his jacket, his tie. I expected something. anything. But he simply walked to the edge of the bed and sat beside me. “Are you okay?” he asked. I looked at him, unsure of what to say. “I’m married,” I whispered. He nodded. “To me.” The silence after that was sharp and cold. “I got everything I ever wanted,” he said, “except the one thing that matters.” I looked at him. “Your heart.” I didn’t reply. I couldn’t. Instead, I leaned back into the pillows, staring at the ceiling, wondering how many more performances I had left in me.

For a moment, I had forgotten he didn't know I wasn't deaf anymore. I looked at him with a blank expression, my voice freezing. "Are you sure your heart belongs only to me?" His face flickered with a trace of panic before he forced a smile. "And to our daughter, of course. My heart belongs to you two." Bonnie piped up from the side, "Mommy, you're not jealous of me, are you?" Before she could say more, a ringtone cut her off. Jackson stepped aside. When he returned a moment later, he seemed apologetic. "Sorry, Quinn. Something urgent came up at work. I need to handle it."

His ears were ringing. I watched him freeze as the memory of my gut-wrenching screams on the operating table finally crashed into his mind. "My other heart is inside you, Rhys!" "I only have one heart left!" And the medical report he had angrily torn to pieces... "Mother!" He snapped his head toward the former Luna. His voice cracked with desperation. "Tell me this isn't true! Tell me she's lying!" The former Luna wouldn't meet his eyes. She tried to deny it. "Son, don't listen to her nonsense! Aurora was born a freak with two hearts. We never hurt her!"

"You saved me, Mira. Not because you tried to fix me—because you saw me. All of me. The dark parts and the broken parts and the parts I thought were unlovable. And you stayed." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. "I've given you rings before. Contracts, promises, symbols of things we were still figuring out. But this one is different." He opened the box. Inside was a simple band—platinum, unadorned, engraved on the inside with words too small to read.

“Last time you hit 140 you spotted. Dr. Hewitt said—” “Dr. Hewitt said it’s normal,” I said. Sat up. “She said twins make your heart work harder. She said walking to the bathroom isn’t a medical emergency.” He didn’t answer. He was looking at the monitor in the nursery. Alex. 98 BPM. Sleeping. Then at mine. 112 BPM. Awake. Annoyed. Then at his phone. His own. 167 BPM. “You’re going to give yourself a heart attack,” I said.