When Will My Reflection Show Who I Am Inside

My hands fix other people’s tension every day. Mine stays knotted, Mom’s hospital bills, Natalia’s soft kisses I can’t fully return, Johnny’s quick, ashamed fucks in the spa storage room like we’re doing something criminal. Then Kristofer Hayes books me again. He’s older, richer, more dangerous than anyone should be allowed to be. What was meant to be a one night stand which I thought would be enough for us both. It wasn’t. Now he’s paying my mother’s bills without asking, watching me like I’m already his, pulling me into a world where wanting a man can get you killed. I keep telling myself I can walk away. But every time he touches me, I forget why I ever wanted to hide.

Amara Okoye believed she was living her dream. After three years of love, she was finally ready to marry Daniel—the man she trusted with her heart and her future. But on the morning of her wedding day, her perfect world collapses in the most humiliating way imaginable. The man she loves doesn’t show up at the altar. Instead, he secretly marries her own cousin… and disappears with all her savings. Broken, betrayed, and standing in her wedding dress outside the church, Amara thinks her life is over. Until a mysterious billionaire steps into her path. Alexander Wolfe—cold, powerful, and dangerously handsome—offers her a shocking proposal. “Marry me instead… and I will destroy everyone who betrayed you.” Driven by heartbreak and a thirst for revenge, Amara agrees to a contract marriage with the ruthless billionaire. But what begins as a deal soon ignites a dangerous attraction neither of them expected. Because Alexander Wolfe is hiding secrets of his own. And the truth behind why he chose Amara may ruin her life all over again.

My boyfriend suddenly posted something on his Instagram. [I’ve offered my body and soul to the country.] I was about to ask what he meant when he sent me a plane ticket to the northwest. He explained that the mission was confidential and that he could not be in contact with me during this time. Ten months passed. He was supposed to be away, but he came home unexpectedly and caught me at a prenatal checkup. When he saw my eight-month-pregnant belly, his face turned pale with anger. “I’ve been gone for ten months. How are you pregnant?” I shrugged and said, “Weren’t you supposed to be gone for three years? Why are you back after just ten months?”

Habang nagtatago sa grupong humahabol sa kanya ay di sinasadyang napadpad si Erinn sa mapunong parte sa likod ng kanilang eskwelahan. Nung gabing iyon, di niya lubos akalain na Magtatagpo ang landas nila ni Volt, na isang bampira, na puno ng sugat ang buong katawan at may pana pang nakabaon sa likudan nito. Dahil sa pagtulong ni Erinn, ay di niya akalain na mapapaloob siya sa isang ugnayan na ang tanging makakapagpasawalang bisa lang ay kamatayan. Magiging obligasyon ni Volt na protektahan si Erinn hanggang sa pinakadulo ng buhay nito dahil sa pagkakaligtas nito sa kanya.

Mature content + Asher, the ruthless mafia king, attends the auction where he notices his younger brother's bride Bella being bid for. Asher makes the highest bid in the auction and drags Bella inside a room. Just Bella's fiance Xavier sees Asher and he begs Asher to leave Bella. But Asher closes the door on Xavier's mouth and removes the blindfold from Bella's eyes and he kisses her eyes. Then he takes off Bella's heels, kisses her feet, comes up to Bella's thighs, and says, "You are completely mine now."  She responds, "You, you bastard! I am not your puppet. If you think I'll be yours, it's far from the truth. I will love Xavier until my last breath." He counters, "No, no, baby. I'm the first person who has played with your body, and I'll be the one you will love for your entire life. So now, it's time for our advance wedding night." Saying this, Asher tore Bella's dress, and then he placed his lips on Bella's eyes and whispered, "Now whenever your eyes open, you will see me first."

I miss out on a call from my fiancee, Lauren Sink, because my phone is out of service when I'm in the elevator. The next thing I know, I receive a text from her, stating that our wedding has gotten called off. "Let's call off our wedding. I don't want to marry you anymore. Gregory isn't feeling well, so I've gone over to his place to take care of him. I don't want you disturbing us." This is the 99th time Lauren has called off our wedding because of Gregory Cooper. But this time, I don't get to plead to Lauren in time because I'm in too much agony from the news. Suddenly, I see a row of comments appearing before my eyes. "Why aren't you pleading with Lauren to stay with you, Cameron? She loves you, you know! She just doesn't know how to convey her feelings for you!" "She doesn't love Gregory at all! She gets close to him and calls off the wedding with you just to make you jealous!" "If Lauren genuinely doesn't want you to disturb her, why would she tell you where she is? Hurry up and please her already!" My heart skips a beat at the sight. So… So Lauren has loved me all this time? But I don't want the love that I can't feel at all.

Raleigh has lived her whole life looking at the world through rose colored glasses, seemingly nothing can put the exuberant girl down. That is until she meet the tech billionaire Logan hunt, the coldest and most cynical man she ever met, not only does Logan not believe in love, but he thinks her sunny attitude is ridiculous. There is an immediate clash of personalities between the grumpy billionaire and sunny journalist, but in between every thrown barbs and snide remarks is an undeniable spark, feeling that neither can resist. Their verbal communication filled with wits and banter, each of them meets with a mix of frustration and fascination. As they journey through misunderstanding and miscommunication, Raleigh and logan find themselves having a second thought about their beliefs and boundaries. Is it possible for two souls so opposed to find something in common? Can love bridge the gap between the grumpy logan and a sunny Raleigh

I'd been home for half a month, but I still couldn't shake the feeling that Mom wasn't quite herself anymore. She looked and sounded like she always had, but something felt different. Then, one day, I got a message from her that sent a chill down my spine. "Lily, hide! There's a ghost in the house!" At first, I thought she was pulling a prank on me—or maybe her account got hacked. Then, there was a knock on my bedroom door. Mom, who had just finished cooking, called out to tell me the meal was ready. I was still hesitating when another message popped up. It was a voice message. "Trust me, Lily. I'm your real mom! The one out there is a ghost! Run!" It sounded just like Mom's voice from outside. My mind was racing in panic. Not hearing me respond, Mom giggled from the other side of the door and said, "I'm coming in."

—Ay papi, ya no sigas, me voy a venir… En el auditorio, la multitud era un caos absoluto. Aproveché el tumulto para empujar a propósito a la chica que tenía delante de mí. Traía una faldita de colegiala bastante sexy. Sin pensarlo dos veces, se la levanté para repegarme contra sus nalgotas. Lo que me mataba era que su ropa interior era delgadísima. Sentir ese trasero tan rico y jugoso hizo que perdiera la razón. Y lo más increíble de todo fue que ella parecía estar disfrutando el repegón.

I died on the day I was supposed to receive the Pack’s Distinguished Service Award. Three hours after I died, my parents, my brother, and my mate were just wrapping up the graduation party they’d thrown for my sister. While my sister, Ella, was posting a cozy family photo on Instagram, I was locked in our basement, using my tongue to swipe on my phone and call for help. The only person who answered was my mate, Ryan. All he said was, "Sophie, cut the drama. Ella's graduation party is important. Enough with the tantrums!" This was the ninety-ninth time they had let me down. And the last. I lay in a pool of my own blood, my lungs still. They thought I was just throwing a fit, hiding somewhere. That if they taught me a lesson, I’d come crawling back. But they didn't know. I was home the whole time. I was already dead.