The second I saw her my skin heated and heart skipped a beat. I knew I had to know who she was. I knew I just needed to be near her. After my horrible marriage I knew getting involved with anyone was the worst thing I could possibly do. The problem was the girl of my dreams was standing right in-front of me partially guarded. She knew my family and knew about my past which should scare me away, but it doesn't it only draws me closer to her. My brother is getting married, I'm the best man, she's the maid of honor. If I screw this up even a little bit everyone is going to have my ass. The second I saw him my mouth went dry. His sculpted arms in that t-shirt covered in ink, my body was telling me to run the other way, to not get involved with this gorgeous dangerous man with a military past. Those gorgeous blue eyes however pulled me in and saw right through every part of me. He's my best friends soon to be brother-in-law, and I have legal custody of a child that isn't mine. Nobody wants to be with a single mom these days, what makes him any different?

Previously named: Hot Summer Night (COMPLETELY EDITED and RENAMED 4/27/2025) Seraphine escaped a nightmare, but Chadwick's vengeance stalks her every step, his sadistic games threatening to shatter her fragile freedom. Declan, the ex-lover she thought lost forever, is her shield, vowing to protect her and his daughter Everly from the monster's grasp. Together, they hide in a small Alabama town, their rekindled love a beacon against the darkness. But Chadwick's closer than they think, his chilling messages and deadly traps tightening the noose. As fear tests their trust, Seraphine and Declan must face their pasts-her trauma, his guilt-to save Everly and themselves. One wrong move, and they'll lose everything. Will their love survive the fight, or will Chadwick's evil claim them all? A heart-stopping thriller of love, survival, and family, where every choice could be their last.

In past, I was cheerful, positive, full of love and joy, until my father destroyed everything, took everything from me, turned me into a cold, heartless, and wrathful, no more happiness in my life. Until I finally met her again, my old friend and also my first love, my world was so beautiful with her, everything was perfect with her. All the beautiful memories I've been through with her for a long time... it crossed my mind, at the moment I looked into her eyes. But there was nothing I could do, I just pretended not to remember her, didn't know her, and it broke me. I want to hug her, I want to kiss her, I want to make her happy, but I can't. I can't keep my promise to her, my promise to always be by her side, I've broken it, the fact that I abandoned her. And I was so surprised after hearing she had an accident, which made her to lose her memory, and it was all because of me, that I had put her through it, that I had made her suffer. It would have been better if it had been me, not her, all my fault, all this because of my selfishness and my stupidity. She deserves happiness, she deserves someone who much better than me, who's capable of making her happier, not me, because I'm just giving her misery.

In a dystopian world, where the strongest prevails, having peace is a luxury. Especially when someone from the past is out to destroy everything we have built up over the past 15 years. And with Christmas approaching, our group get to face ten hellish days. Preview: In his fury, the chains have rubbed his wrists and neck raw, despite me trying to calm him down. He suddenly calms down when the screams in the cell next to us switch to the sound of bones breaking. Now he sits with foam on his lips and his eyes wide, looking that way. After ten minutes, the sounds of the boys in our cell have died down, and we all look at the wall that separates us from the crackling of the breaking bones. And then suddenly all is quiet. After a few silent minutes, our cell door opens slowly. From the ball of light from the ceiling, the little girl in the doorway is illuminated. She is completely covered in blood and doesn't move. Then she opens her eyes and carefully walks towards us. And despite everything, my first impulse is to crawl backwards, away from the unnatural calm radiating from her. ------------- After reading yet another great older brothers/younger sister story, where the family gets reunited after years of separation, the sister keeps the secret that she was abused and assaulted all along, and the brothers conceal their work in the mafia, I decided to give it also a try. The output of my story was initially to turn this around with openness and unconditional support and the torture should happen right in front of their very eyes. Because no story is complete without the (un)necessary bloodshed, action, humour and, of course, a bad guy. And who knows, to throw everything completely upside down, the main character may not survive. I won't write warnings above each chapter, because most of them contain violence, blood, torture, etc. Constructive criticism is welcome. Ow, and English is not my first, second or third language. So if I mess up somewhere, let me know!

𝟏𝟖+| I was said to be 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝, 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞... 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞. I had heard it so much in my life that it had manifested into a truth that remained rock solid in my brain. It consumed every surface of my body and mind like a deadly cancer It had become a promise to myself. A reminder. A standard. It was a rule applied to every person in my life, except him... He was the same as I was; no matter how different our outside identities were. We were cut from the same cloth on the inside. There was no denying that he and I were both broken souls left in a broken world. Both craving an eternal slumber before we met, but his darkness played so well with mine that suddenly it began feeling more like light, warmth, goodness... a happy ending. "...𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝗻𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲... 𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂," --------------------------- Partying. That was the one thing Chandler did best, and everyone in town knew that. But when one of her parties get out of hand and the cops are called, she's in for a rude awakening as she comes face to face with the new guy in town: Officer Herrera. He's wasn't like the usual officers she dealt with, and she finds that out quite quickly as she gets dragged away to jail for the night. They both wish to never see each other again, but there was something stronger than their dislike for each other keeping them together. The stronger their dislike grows, the more attached they become, until the lines become so blurred that they can't tell the difference between hatred and love anymore. They could say they hated each other, but if anything, a small part of them knew it would turn into love. If that love would last once everything was revealed... It was only a matter of time before they found out. ----

I was so damn naive it's no wonder I've ended up here. Kidnapped by the man who promised me forever, just as I'd begun to understand the depths of his betrayal. It's a sad truth I didn't marry my husband for love. I married him for the life he promised to provide, and if I'm honest with myself, I married him in hopes one day he'd fill the void Lucas-my first love-left behind. Now after so many years, they're both back. And in my desperation to feel loved, to be wanted and chosen I've walked straight into this trap. All because I forgot life's harshest lesson... I'm not enough. No matter how much or how fiercely I love, the choice will never be me. Especially now. Surrounded by danger and at the mercy of my husband's enemies, I'm forced to face one final bit of truth. Much like love, hope is for the weak. I was a fool to believe in the vows and promises they made.

She hated them. They loved her with everything in them. The universe truly has a sick way of telling you it's there, doesn't it? From being kidnapped to being abused, that was all Arabella saw in life. It was all she ever knew. They tell you to keep fighting but sometimes you realize... you were just a child. Now she's built herself up using her pain as the next step to her strength. She's learnt how to strive forward even as her past haunts her mind crawling up her back every passing second. That is until the first 7 people who only ever brought her pain find their way back into her life. She has no way to let go of her past when they come right back to her. The world showed her no mercy in it's ways so why should she. ~~~ I let out a small sigh wanting more of this. I wanted to be held like this whenever I felt broken. Feel the way he puts me back together in his arms. It ate at my heart and I could have sworn I felt a feathery kiss on my head. It was as if he could hear my thoughts and was kissing them away for me. Slowly he lets one hand go, the other staying around me as he brings my chin up to him gently wiping my last tears as more fill my eyes. He sees this and his eyes look... crumbled. If you feel this way then why can't you choose me, Dominic. I shake my head from his hands wishing to step back but he pulls me back to him a pain filled groan leaving him. "Just one more minute. Please." His body shook and I brought him closer, feeling our pain become one. Our hurricanes of minds pull away even for the smallest time letting us stand together as one in each other's embrace. He was it for me. But I wasn't his.

Aspen Carlee Ellington. "Beau's Girl" That's how I've been known since the 10th grade. Every time I looked into the future...whether it was an hour, a day or years ahead of me...that's all I saw. Me and him. Just like I'd always seen. I had no doubt it would be us. The one day I turned into a real fucking girl and voiced some feelings and watched him walk out of my life to go on some deployment I couldn't know the details of. My heart had a sinking feeling that I would never see him again. Now I'm 22 and it's two years later he's standing in my backyard with my brothers back from some godforsaken place...and yes. I'm still 100% his. Will this Christmas bring me a happily ever after? Beau Remington Brighton Every day I wake up and remember the most beautiful sexy girl I'd ever have the pleasure of knowing. Every day I find a way to torture myself to the brink of mental or physical death for shattering her. Fast forward two years, I'm standing in her backyard with her older brothers not knowing if she'll even acknowledge my existence. But fuck me...she's even more gorgeous than I remembered and I swear before Christmas is over, I'll have made her broken heart whole and she'll be mine. Aspen is a 21 year old dessert maker. Beau is a 28 year old Navy SEAL. Between ghosts from their pasts and dangers of their future...broken promises, broken dreams and broken hearts...can these two fix a love that was broken?

I've dreamed of the perfect marriage ever since I was a little girl: a marriage complete with a hardworking husband while I tended to the home and our children, preferably four little rugrats to call my own. I dreamed of a life filled with laughter, joy, and success, a life we built together. I dreamed of growing old next to my husband, creating a great love story to tell our grandchildren someday. It all seemed so possible. I was raised to be the perfect wife, after all. From the outside, it seemed I had exactly what I dreamed of with the rich, determined husband; the brilliant, gaudy diamond ring; and the beautiful home filled with the hope of future children. Yes, it was all a dream come true. I should have felt grateful, really. The problem is, I also wanted a marriage based on love, passion, and affection, but those are the only things my husband cannot give me . . . . . . because they're reserved for her. For readers: * I do my best to proofread before publishing, but some typos and errors will slip through. Feel free to point them out! * Comments, active engagement, and helpful critiques are welcomed. * Mean, unnecessary comments that attack me, personally, or other commenters will be ignored and deleted. It takes a lot of courage to publish your work and for others to actively engage in a community. I'd like to keep this a safe and fun place to rage at imperfect heroes and cheer for darling heroines! * I'm not a spicy writer. I rather use my word count for plot, character development, and GROVEL!!! * Most importantly, I hope you enjoy the little world I'm creating. Happy reading, everyone! ADS/Imaginationgirl35