"Shared trauma doesn’t just stay with you—it bears you forward. Shapes you. Lets you begin again."
Elias Wood didn’t have time to brace. He was halfway up the stairs when the ship tore sideways. Metal screamed against stone. His leg caught the edge of a step—low, fast. More bruised ego than blood.He hauled himself upright, breath...
"Ragden has a not-so-typical start to the school day..."
First period was a blur. Ragden felt sharp and alert. His body felt refreshed and energetic. His skin pulsed with energy, bordering on nervous ticks. He just felt good. As if everything was right in the world, he took his...
"Internet fame was her escape plan. Antarctica wasn’t. But down there, what numbed her wasn’t the cold—it was seeing her own hurt in someone else."
Ivy Murrow watched the world through her iPhone lens, the same way she’d learned to watch everything over the past few years—arm’s length, slightly filtered, always recording. The Solstice VI dipped lazily in the ocean slush while the crew moved...
"When one doesn't want to just roll over and die, an overheard conversation can be of value."
Monday morning arrived at 5:30 as the insipid Autumn light ghosted its bleary fingers through the windows and insinuated itself into the bedroom where Debbie lay sound asleep beside me. A peaceful visage indicated her content as she slept easily,...
"On a sun-drenched Thai island, three strangers collide in a weekend of seduction, secrets, and the sensual unravelling of everything they thought they wanted."
The speedboat skimmed across the Andaman Sea, the hull slicing through pale turquoise water with a deep, satisfying hum. Phi Phi lay ahead, its jagged limestone cliffs and cascading greenery rising like a dream just beginning to stir. The morning...
"Andy interrogates Aislyn and ends up getting more than he bargained for."
Chapter 37Grace woke up before the alarm and took advantage of the time by sneaking under the covers. She kissed her way down his belly and used her talented tongue to tease Mac awake. It didn’t take long for him...
"A 23 yr old magazine writer is asked out by a bestseller."
"You look amazing, Makayla."The woman in question blushed and sat in the chair pulled out for her. She had expected a compliment or two; hearing the man speak of her in such a way made her nervous. A soft chuckle...
"The finale, and the epilogue"
~Three Months Later~Kieran nervously adjusted his tie as he looked himself over in the mirror for the hundredth time that morning. He wasn’t used to wearing suits; in fact, he could count on the fingers of one hand the number...
"At the clinic in town, Celeste proves to be a very strange patient."
Luke sat in his office at the clinic, studying a patient's chart. His eyes were tired, and he longed to put his head down on the desk for just a few minutes, but he knew the mid-morning lull wouldn't last....
"Life doesn't always go the way that you expect it..."
It was Saturday morning in early December, and I passed the time by putting up some Christmas decorations. Clare was going to be over later, but it was Sarah's return after her fourth date with Liz that primarily occupied my...