The Mountain Between Us Novels & Stories

"Everyone I ever had before figured out how to walk away. You'd follow me into a burning building. That's deeply unhinged and I find it very attractive." The second laugh caught me more off guard than the first. He always managed to find the loose thread in whatever I had wound too tight and pulled until the whole thing relaxed. "I'm coming back to that mountain with you, Jace. That isn't a question. It stopped being a question a long time ago. Whatever we have up there that belongs to both of us." Maybe the sensible thing was something different. There were still gaps, still things we hadn't answered about the accident and the illness had proven we weren't immune to the world's interrupti

Something earned. The city roared below them, indifferent and endless—but in that moment, everything narrowed to the space between two men finally standing in the light. And this time, Ethan didn’t pull away.

ETHAN Maya doesn’t stay long, and that's always been the thing I like best about her. The clean edges of it, the unspoken agreement that whatever exists between us begins at my door and ends long before sunrise. It’s uncomplicated and temporary and blessedly free of the kind of emotional excavation that other people seem to crave from intimacy.

“Right, I should show him how much I want this. If he truly is passionate, he’ll come back. I can do this. Thanks, Purple” Aria stood, grabbed her bag and headed for the door. “You’re not having breakfast?” Maureen asked, following her to the doorstep. “No. It’s almost time for his morning drive. I’ll be back.” As she stepped out of the dormitory, she bumped into someone and fell. “Are you okay?” a calm voice asked. A hand extended toward her. She took the it and apologized. “I’m so sorry.” “You’re Aria Beaumont, right?” Aria blinked, wondering how he knew her name.

⸻ That Night In bed, wrapped in soft sheets and half-asleep limbs, Elena whispered into the dark: “I submitted a new series to the gallery.” Adrian’s voice was low. “Yeah?” “They want to feature it. In a permanent collection.” He smiled in the dark. “Proud of you.” “There’s more.” She hesitated. Then: “I named the series Falling Between Us.” Adrian turned toward her, fully awake now. “And why that?” “Because everything we thought was a fall…” she whispered, “turned out to be a way forward.” He kissed her forehead.

“Or maybe something’s wrong.” “I said I’m fine.” He raised an eyebrow. “Your shoulders are stiff. And you’re biting your lip. You only do that when you’re nervous” I blinked at him. “You notice that?” “I notice everything,” he said with a smirk. I looked away, heart pounding. “Drop it, Damon.” His eyes lingered on me before turning back to the road. “Fine. For now.” --- The bonfire was already burning high when we arrived. Flames lit the night, music pounded from big speakers, and laughter carried across the field. Groups of students sat on blankets, others danced or stood around with drinks.

"Did you use your wealth to overpower them?" I smiled, pressing a button. "Before that, let me share something." ... The screen lit up with photos of Victor, Helene, and Edith at the amusement park. The images grew intimate, showing Victor and Helene cozy together. The room went quiet, cameras flashing wildly. A video played, showing Edith's birthday, with clear shots of hickeys on Victor and Helene. Then it was me locked in a storage room by Edith, followed by Helene's mother being run over by her car.

Hatred. "Let's get a divorce."

Months of healing, quiet laughter, and shared memories had finally woven the broken pieces of Chester's and Alex’s hearts back together. The house that once echoed with cold silence was now filled with soft footsteps, the sound of their son’s giggles, and the tender exchanges between two people who had faced the brink of heartbreak — and survived.

He laughed, switching back to himself, and went to the kitchen. I shook my head and commenced back to work, switching on the TV as the news flashed on. Once the calls died down, I glanced at the TV, sighing as I saw an attack had been made in Montana. It was eeriem the pictures flashing as black feathers appeared around a crowd, strange looking men and women standing around the crowd. At the sight of them, Loss walked around me, turning the volume up, his mouth set in a tight smile. I stayed quiet, scared to even breathe, as Loss ran a hand through his hair.