Still Standing Book Novels & Stories

But I was standing in it. And I wasn't moving back. End of Chapter Eleven.

The next day at noon, a friend I had not seen in a while asked me to lunch. We sat across from each other, talking softly, and I tried to ease the gloom that had built up inside me. But fate insisted on grinding away the last scrap of my dignity. When I looked up, I suddenly saw two familiar figures. Sebastian walked in front, tall and refined, his suit immaculate. Beside him, shoulder to shoulder, was Serena. The instant our eyes met, Sebastian stopped short, surprise and a flicker of panic churning in his gaze.

Curiosity continuously gnaws at my heart. Pushing the door open, I gasped loudly at the books on different shelves. Surprisingly, it is an in-house library. What caught my attention the most was the large book with a strange cover and unreadable writings, sitting pretty on a book stand. It made me wonder why it was a standalone and not on the shelf like the others. Glancing back at the door, I felt the urge to back away, but I stayed back.

Another replied, "Exactly. You're pretending to be someone else's husband. Where does that leave Tiff and Natalie?" Joshua turned to look at me. He solemnly asked, "You'll be understanding about this, right, Tiff?" I pursed my lips and remained silent. I knew that these village elders would definitely leave once I agreed to him. At the end of the day, one person's strength could only go so far, especially when I still had Natalie to protect. The light in my eyes dimmed. But strangely enough, just as I was about to speak again, Natalie started squirming in my arms, insisting on getting down.

The guards quickly helped me up from the ground and guided me into the guardhouse to rest. Then, one of them sprinted toward the main building. I sat rigid inside, unease gnawing at me. I didn't know if the medals Moses and Clara had died to earn would mean anything at all. Could it really be—as Harold had claimed—that they were nothing but worthless scraps of metal? As I anxiously waited, a military vehicle drove into the yard and stopped in front of me. Almost immediately, a stern, imposing general stepped out.

There's a wave of anger in me burning brightly and waiting to explode but I think I can hold it in for a few more minutes. I smelled his roll-on. And yes, it's him. My lover from the one-night stand. That's his smell. I remember it like I do the marks on my hand. But I was filled with anger, which was just what I needed to get the hurt and confusion down for a bit. What I needed to face this interview head-on.

Friend: "Relax, you were both consenting adults. Just enjoy the moment and don't overthink it." Jessica: "I don't even know how to contact him. What if I'm pregnant or something?" Friend: "Don't worry, you can take a pregnancy test in a few weeks. And as for him, it was just a one-night stand. You don't need to contact him if you don't want to." Jessica: "I guess you're right. I just hope I don't regret this later." Chapter 1 (continued): As Jessica was getting ready to leave the hotel room the next morning, the man she had spent the night with sat up in bed and looked at her with a smile.

I look around, seeing the large stands and the shadows that surround it. Then my cell phone buzzes once again, catching my eye, [Keep moving, Reddy.] I swallow, apprehensive. "I don't like this banter, Jasper." I say out loud, my voice shaking, but I allow my body to keep moving forward, my fearful steps taking me behind the bleachers.

I felt a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach although I can't exactly pinpoint what it was. I wonder what he looks like now although I wasn't expecting much changes and I know I'm being a little dramatic and over the top by even wondering what he looks like now since I still saw him about a week ago but who knows, he could have decided to grow his beards or something so I can never be too sure. I was brought out of my reverie when the door flies open and there he was. The ever good looking Liam Helton was standing in front of me and my insides immediately started to heat up.

In this woman's hands, holding a book that had started with one true sentence and become, page by page, the fullest version of the truth I knew how to tell. Still here. Always still here.