Summer Reads

Everything comes crashing down as my eyes widen into his. Both of our breathing labored but his hands not releasing me. “Grace.” He says breathlessly. That name is all it takes to wake me up. ‘Grace’ I’m not Grace. He thinks I’m someone I’m not. I shouldn’t be doing this when he doesn’t even know who he’s with. I scramble off of him and stand in the middle of the room panting. I can see him start to fumble, standing up and walking towards me. I look up at him, my eyes wide. “I’m so sorry. We shouldn’t… We shouldn’t have done that.” I stammer out and he looks at me shocked. Walking towards me like I’m a trapped animal he’s scared is going to run away. “Why, Grace? Why shouldn’t we have done that? Please, just talk to me.” I can hear the pleading in his voice, the fear that I didn’t want him to kiss me, but that’s not it. I don’t know why. Why I’m so scared to just tell them the truth, so I decide to lie. “I’m sorry, Gunner. I like all three of you. I’m not going to choose, so I’ve just decided I wouldn’t be with any of you. It’s not fair to you guys.” I don’t wait for him to respond, I run out the door and down the steps, landing face first in Dean’s chest. He pulls me up and wraps my legs around his waist causing me to gasp. “Who said we’d make you choose, Bambi?” And before I can respond his lips are on mine.

Everyone knows I'm Brooke River's bootlicker—I've stuck by her side for the past ten years. Now, she's getting engaged to someone else, and everyone's waiting to see me make a fool of myself. The problem is… I already got married three years ago.

My husband had a severe addiction for physical intimacy. However, in the seven years of our marriage, he never touched me, not even once. To suppress his urges, he soaked himself in bone-chilling ice water every night. His arms were covered in needle marks from constant injections. It broke my heart to see him like that. I offered myself to him many times, but he insisted on simply giving me a restrained kiss on the forehead before saying, “Don’t be silly, Summer. I’m not like those animals. How could I ever bear to hurt you? For you, I’d gladly live the rest of my life in a platonic marriage.” This strange, almost obsessive restraint of his lasted seven years. Despite the numerous times he pushed himself far enough to end up hospitalized, he still refused to cross that line. Then, on our wedding anniversary, a young woman named Anna Brandt came in for her ninth hymen restoration surgery. After the anesthetic was administered, her cheeks flushed red. As her mind grew hazy, she started crying weakly like a lost kitten. Looking at the love bites scattered across her body, I shook my head and assumed she was just another girl who had gone astray. That was until I heard her last tearful whisper. “John Shaw, you jerk.” My hand trembled and I nearly dropped the scalpel. Because my husband’s name also was John Shaw.

Althea Summer Velazquez known as malditang nerd sa school nila. Maldita at cold minsan, ang gusto nya ay mag-aral at wag syang d-distorhin pero dahil kay Kenneth ay hindi sya nakakapag focus. Kenneth Lazaro a typical playboy type pero ang tanging babaeng gusto nya ay si Althea. Mga bata palang sila ay may gusto na sya rito kahit sobrang suplada nito sakanya. Pinangako sa sarili na kahit na sinong babae pa ang dumating sa buhay nya ay papatulan nya ito pero ang babaeng pakakasalan nya ay si Althea. Kahit na anong pag papansin ang gawin nya ay balewala lang kay Althea hanggang sa pinakiusapan na nya ang Mommy nya ipagkasundo silang ikasal ni Althea dahil matalik na magkaibigan ang mga magulang nila ay pumayag ito. Pero pano si Althea? Pano kung umayaw sya sa kagustuhan nila? Pero pano kung wala kang choice kundi ang sundin ang mga magulang mo?

NAGING mahirap ang buhay para kay Sunshine simula nang yumao ang ama at magkasakit naman ang ina. Mabuti na lamang at nagawa niyang pag-aralin ang sarili hanggang sa matapos niya ang kolehiyo. Naka-graduate man, hindi na siya nag-inarte sa kung ano ang trabahong pwede niyang pasukan. As long as her job can provide her mother's maintenance, go lang. Besides, nag-e-enjoy naman siya kahit pa minsan ang gabi ginagawa niyang araw. Papasok siya bilang waitress mula tanghali hanggang gabi at fire dancer naman hanggang hatinggabi. Nakakapagod, pero kailangan– para sa kaniyang Mamang. Maayos naman sana ang lahat, not until this summer. Not until she met Norman Luther. Ang arogante sa lahat ng aroganteng nakasalamuha niyang bakasyunista ng Palacio Grande Resort, na pinsan ng kaniyang Boss Lowelle at isa sa may pinakamalaking share sa resort na iyon. Hindi maintindihan ni Sunshine kung ano ang kasalanang nagawa niya sa lalaki at trip na trip siya ng lalaki. Na sa sobrang pan-ti-trip nito, ipinatanggal pa talaga siya sa trabahong matagal niyang iningatan dahil lang hindi niya tinanggap ang alok nito. Alok na nagpababa sa kaniyang dignidad at pagkatao. Mahuhulog kaya si Sunshine sa bitag ng binatang gumulo sa nananahimik niyang buhay, gayong ginagamit na ni Norman ang 'impluwensiya' makuha lang ang dalaga?

"Ms. Longstaff, are you saying the wedding will proceed as planned, but the bride will be replaced with someone else? Is that correct?" Faced with the staff member's puzzled expression, Heather Longstaff nodded without hesitation. "Yes, the wedding will take place in two weeks as scheduled. I'll deliver the revised materials to you in the next few days." "Understood. Should I inform Mr. Bennett about—" "There's no need!" Heather cut the other person off, her voice sharp with emotion. Noticing the startled look on the staff member's face, she quickly composed herself and explained, "He's busy. All wedding-related matters should come directly to me from now on." This wedding was meant to be her final gift to Mitchell. And like any gift, it had to remain a surprise until the very last moment.

Mexico gave her sun, tequila, and a man who kissed like a secret. L.A. gave her his twin-and a migraine. Jannah Cole wasn't supposed to fall for anyone on vacation. But then Ethan Hunt happened-dark eyes, cryptic smirks, and the kind of kiss that makes your brain short-circuit. He vanished before sunrise, and she told herself it was a one-time thing. Until she walked back into work and saw him again. Same jawline. Same voice. Same tattoo. Totally different name. Now he's Aaron Steele, her very polished CEO, and apparently? He's never seen her before in his life. Then there's Clinton Steele-his charming twin and self-declared Mexico mystery man. Sweet, attentive, and just confusing enough to make her question everything. After all, how many brooding, emotionally unavailable doppelgängers can one girl trip over in a single summer? And the real question: What if she didn't mistake one brother for the other? What if she didn't mistake anything at all? Two brothers. One ghost of a kiss. And a truth wrapped in too many lies to count.

At 16 years old, I travel with my sister, Sarah Barnes, to the remote mountains of Nectar Valley to participate in a program. While herding cattle in the mountains, I fall asleep. In my drowsy state, I hear strange panting and gasps. Thick fog has somehow risen throughout the forest by the time I wake up. Suddenly, Sarah's anxious voice calls out from within the fog. I'm about to respond when someone suddenly covers my mouth with their hand. A voice whispers in my ear, "Don't answer. That's not your sister. It's the Temptress!"

Could anything be more worse than a betrayal from the ones you loved and trust the most? "You better not be an ingrate or you sure will regret it for the rest of your life, that you know pretty well.. Understood?" "Yes sir!" I managed to answer back as rivers of tears were already rushing down from my eyes. I rubbed the tears off my face with the back of my palm as I walked to the exit of the office. Join Diana Roberts on a heart-wrenching odyssey through betrayal, survival, and the quest for identity. When her mother's tragic death thrusts her into a vicious family power struggle, Diana is cast into the unforgiving streets. Yet, in the shadows of despair, she encounters unlikely allies, including the compassionate Jake Stewart. As she battles demons from her past, a sinister conspiracy unfolds, revealing a tangled web of deception, crime, and a shocking family secret. Can Diana break free from the chains of her lineage, or will she succumb to the darkness that threatens to consume her newfound life? Uncover the gripping saga of one girl's resilience against a world determined to break her.

A young widow is given one more chance at life when her life is reversed back in time using a time travel machine that had been her late husband's father's life's work, way before she was forced into an arranged marriage. But what does the new trip in time hold for her, especially when she meets her then husband in a new setting, and sees him in a different light, bearing in mind that he is already dead? And how fast is a whirlwind romance when she has to go back to her place in time to an empty bed? "You don't...look like someone who has a long time to live." I said to him, watching as his gaze became a little sad. "I guess when you live right, you don't need to."