Oliver Harper is a unique person. He doesn't care about frivolous ideas or someone in his life to complete him. He prefers a conversation that stimulates his mind. When Oliver starts college, his friends and cousins join him. The problem with this bunch is they're crazy. Have you met the Gray/Harper family? They define bat shit crazy. Olivier will navigate his way through college with the help of his family and cousins. He'll meet and fall in love with the most unexpected person who'll stimulate his mind. College life is about to explode. Author: Johanna Delacruz Publisher:i&i Publisher
The Harper Cousins
Oliver
Splash!
What the hell? I jerked up from my bed soaked in water. I wiped my face to have Deacon standing in my room, holding a bucket.
"Why the hell did you do that?" I grabbed a shirt and dried off my face-the wrong decision. Damn, I need to do laundry. I tossed the shirt into the hamper.
"We start college next week, and you're sleeping your life away."
"What does it matter?" I squinted at Deacon.
"Stop sulking. It's not great for the soul or you." Deacon shrugged, tossing the bucket.
"People wallow when they're feeling down. It's an instinct."
"Conner, not calling you after locking lips doesn't constitute you wallowing. Plus, you didn't call him."
"He's busy."
"With what?"
"Not calling me."
Deacon's right eye twitched. How does a person disagree with sense?
I kicked Deacon out of my bedroom so I could change. Someone tapped on my bedroom door. Christ. Can't a guy dress in peace? If Deacon throws water at me again, I'll slap him.
I whipped open my door. "What?"
The person didn't respond as Conner stood in my hallway.
"Is this an inconvenient time? I can come back."
"No! It's not!" Deacon said from downstairs.
I stormed out of my bedroom and over to the railing. "Shut the hell up, you tool!"
"Stop moping! A mopey Oliver is an annoying Oliver!"
"Go jump, Gia!"
"Ooh, clever idea."
Deacon left as I folded my eyes. Now I understand why Tori sat on his head. I ambled into my bedroom and contemplated sitting on my bed. Ah, what the hell? I spotted an arid spot and plunked my buns down.
"I haven't seen you since our kiss. Did you not enjoy it?"
"You came to my house to inquire whether I enjoy our kiss. Are you on crack?" I curved my eyebrow.
"Well, I haven't seen you since the party."
"Because you didn't call or visit."
"I'm puzzled."
"That makes two of us." I exhaled.
Conner sauntered over to my bed and sat down next to me.
"So..."
"Yeah?"
"I like you. You like me."
"We aren't a big, happy family. It's not Barney. If you want to ask me out, then ask."
Conner's eyes expanded. I didn't get the approach of dancing around questions. Directness is my motto. If you like someone, you ask them out. It's not that complicated.
I awaited, then exhaled.
"I'm not great at relationships."
"What relationship?" I curved my eyebrow.
"Well, asking someone on a date."
"A date doesn't mean a relationship. Two people eat dinner together, determining if they like each other. That's the trouble with people."
I stood up, shuffled over to my dresser, snagged a pair of Hanes socks, and tugged them on. No offense to anyone, but feet gross me out. Owen thinks I'm peculiar, but people's feet aren't pleasant.
"What do you suggest?" He squirmed on my bed.
I could tell he was nervous.
"Why don't we hang out? If we don't like each other, there's no harm done."
Conner sighed as I curved my eyebrow. Then water streamed through my screen, soaking Conner. Yeah, my dipshit cousins are at it again.
Conner scrambled off my bed. I dashed out of my bedroom, came back a few minutes later, opened my screen, and flung water balloons at Kayden and Jayden.
Except I didn't fill the balloons with water, but with pudding. Each balloon hit them and exploded with chocolate pudding.
"What the hell? Oliver, you suck monkey balls!" Jayden said.
"You suck donkey dick, but you don't hear me judging, you twat monger!"
"Do you have any idea how much pudding stinks in eighty-degree weather?" Kayden asked.
"Ask me if I care."
"Do you care?"
I shook my head and rolled my eyes. Markus dropped the psycho twins on their heads as babies. They escaped while complaining. Well, don't shoot water into my bedroom.
I moseyed into my bathroom, snatched a towel, and tossed it at Conner. "Here, dry off."
"Thanks." Conner dried his hair.
I tugged on my sneakers.
"So, about hanging out?"
I rounded my brow. I saw potential in Conner. But can he keep my attention? That question lingers.
*****
Jayden
Kayden and I entered the house with pudding covering us. Dad took one peek at us and resounded with laughter.
"Thanks, Dad." Kayden walked past him.
"No problem." Dad laughed.
Our dad, Markus, howled at our expense. We do something foolish, resulting in payback, and he chuckles. Our dad, Hayden, struggles to intervene. It never works.
Kayden and I took showers to scrub off the pudding. Then we got dressed-that damn Oliver.
As I picked my hair, Kayden brushed his.
"When are you cutting your fro?"
"I like my fro."
"You resemble someone from the seventies."
"Unlike you, I kept my luscious locks."
"So did Bozo the Clown, except your hair isn't orange."
I scowled at Kayden. Okay, people need some background about us. Our biological parents were black and into some crazy shit. Child protective services took us because they figured we desired a better home. The couple who adopted us were gay and white.
While most people view this as an issue, we don't. Our dads raised us in a loving home. They have no trouble beating our asses when we do stupid shit. Yeah, we do a lot of stupid shit. When a crazy-ass family raises you, you're bound to do stupid shit. Our last name is Harper.
"Kayden and Jayden! Lunch is ready!" Markus said.
We busted our ass getting out of the bathroom. I almost tossed Kayden down the stairs. We scrambled into the kitchen, tumbled over each other, and fell.
Markus looked at us on the floor. "If you wished to eat on the floor, you could have told me."
I shoved Kayden off me. "Get off me, fool."
"Well, bite me."
"Can we have one day where someone isn't acting like a fool? Or someone has to bite the other?" Markus asked.
We peered at each other, then said, "No."
Markus rolled his eyes as Hayden came into the kitchen. Kayden and I sat down at the table as our dads joined us.
"So, why did pudding explode on you?" Markus asked.
"Dumbass sprayed a hose into Oliver's bedroom window," I spoke while eating my sandwich.
"Well, mopey needs to stop moping," Kayden said with a shrug.
"Oliver has issues," Markus said.
"Yeah, big issues," I said.
"Can you survive your first year in college without landing in the clink?"
"Have you met our boys or your family?" Hayden asked Markus.
Markus squinted his eyes and pushed out his lips. "Yeah, never mind."
Kayden and I glanced at each other as smirks formed on our lips. Dear old Oliver is in for a surprise this year. His dad doesn't know about his side job. We do, and that's never great.
Let the games begin.
Carrington Carrington Jones grew up with seven brothers and sisters. He has a happy-go-lucky nature with a tender heart, which sets him apart from his siblings with their personalities. He meets a woman who captures his heart. The only problem is she has a husband. Carrington’s brothers advised him against pursuing it, especially Mason and Charles, understanding it’s a terrible idea. Carrington can’t stay away from the woman. What happens with romance blossoms? Will Carrington discover his happiness, or will his heart get broken? A forbidden romance is enticing but arises in tragedy. Carrington will discover that it’s not romance where his heart lies but what occurs from it. Author: Johanna Delacruz Publisher:i&i Publisher
Matthew Harper always does the right thing. He doesn’t drink or smoke and protects his family, but he lets his past rule him. After dealing with the loss of his girlfriend Sadie, he thought he could move on, but ghosts of the past resurface. It made him close off his heart to someone who could love him more profoundly than the ocean. What happens when a past love resurfaces, making him rethink his earlier decisions? Will he get a second chance at happiness he deserves or breaks another’s heart again? It takes help from some cousins and an unexpected situation to show Matthew that we can’t let the past rule our future. The heart wants what the heart wants. *The Gray Series spin-off series. Author: Johanna Delacruz Publisher:i&i Publisher
Growing up next to the Harper boys, Tori Williams learned to hold her own with them. Her brother Gabe is best friends with the boys, and Tori deals with the youngest Harper boy, Deacon. There’s a slight issue when Tori dates Bradley Wilson, whom the Harper boys can’t stand. Wanting to keep Tori from her idiot ex-boyfriend, Nate and Deacon develop a plan of their own. Elias Harper graduated college and returned home to work in construction. While Nate and Deacon scheme to keep Bradley from Tori, another issue arises when Elias takes an interest in a particular neighbor girl. What happens when four years change people? Will a love connection happen, or will someone get burned? With the Gray gene cemented in your DNA, all bets are off. Follow Elias as he discovers who held his heart while growing up. Author: Johanna Delacruz Publisher:i&i Publisher
Lex and Piper are ready to settle down and have a family of their own. After celebrating the wedding of Michael and Lyric, something significant happens to Lex and Piper, which turns the Gray family upside down. Will they be able to get through this, or will they falter? With the help of The Gray Brothers and The Gray Sisters, Lex and Piper will learn the meaning of what it is to be a Gray. Love and humor go a long way for this family. Follow Lex and Piper on their journey as we find out if they can find their way back to each other. Author: Johanna Delacruz Publisher:i&i Publisher
As the quints head into their third and final year of college, they are going to discover the thing that truly matters most - family. Follow them on their journey as the sisters deal with situations beyond their control. That is when the family becomes essential, especially the Gray Family. Now all they must do is get through the next two years with minor issues. Considering these are The Gray Sisters, expect the unexpected. With a little bit of help from the Brothers and a whole lot of humor, anything is possible. Author: Johanna Delacruz Publisher:i&i Publisher
Nash and Maggie’s offspring are off to college, along with Kaiden and Kain. As they navigate life away from home, they must deal with what happened after graduation too. Will the quints help Lyric deal with the tragedy while they deal with college life? Sometimes, you need a little help and guidance from The Gray Brothers themselves. Get ready because The Gray Sisters are taking college by storm. Author: Johanna Delacruz Publisher:i&i Publisher
It's true what they say about marriage: one partner's always happier than the other. ~~~ Julie's world is shattered when her husband, Ryan, reveals that he wants an open marriage. His reason: he needs a child as they've been unable to have one. Julie reluctantly agrees to save her marriage. The next day, Ryan returns home with his secretary, confirming Julie's long-held suspicion that their affair was taking place behind her back. Julie, heartbroken and enraged, seeks solace in a bar, where she meets a fascinating stranger named Luke, who changes the game. Julie confides in Luke over drinks, and he proposes a risky plan: he will act as her "boyfriend" to turn the tables on Ryan. Julie agrees, setting off a chain of events that will challenge everything she thought she knew about love, loyalty, and herself.
For three years, Shane and Yvonne were wed, sharing heated nights, while his devotion clung to his ex. Yvonne strove to be a dutiful wife, yet their marriage felt hollow, built on desire rather than real warmth. All changed when she became pregnant, only for Shane to thrust her onto the operating table, warning, “Either you or the baby survives!” Broken by his cruelty, she vanished in grief and later returned, radiantly accomplished, leaving everyone awestruck. Haunted by remorse, Shane begged for another chance, but Yvonne only smiled and replied, “I’m sorry, men no longer interest me.”
Madisyn was stunned to discover that she was not her parents' biological child. Due to the real daughter's scheming, she was kicked out and became a laughingstock. Thought to be born to peasants, Madisyn was shocked to find that her real father was the richest man in the city, and her brothers were renowned figures in their respective fields. They showered her with love, only to learn that Madisyn had a thriving business of her own. "Stop pestering me!" said her ex-boyfriend. "My heart only belongs to Jenna." "How dare you think that my woman has feelings for you?" claimed a mysterious bigwig.
"I heard you're going to marry Marcelo. Is this perhaps your revenge against me? It's very laughable, Renee. That man can barely function." Her foster family, her cheating ex, everyone thought Renee was going to live in pure hell after getting married to a disabled and cruel man. She didn't know if anything good would ever come out of it after all, she had always thought it would be hard for anyone to love her but this cruel man with dark secrets is never going to grant her a divorce because she makes him forget how to breathe.
The whispers said that out of bitter jealousy, Hadley shoved Eric's beloved down the stairs, robbing the unborn child of life. To avenge, Eric forced Hadley abroad and completely cut her off. Years later, she reemerged, and they felt like strangers. When they met again, she was the nightclub's star, with men ready to pay fortunes just to glimpse her elusive performance. Unable to contain himself, Eric blocked her path, asking, "Is this truly how you earn a living now? Why not come back to me?" Hadley's lips curved faintly. "If you’re eager to see me, you’d better join the queue, darling."
Elisa watched as the most important people in her life showered the evil imposter-The fake heiress, with love. Elisa, the lost daughter of one of the most wealthiest family was found 18 years later and was brought back to her rightful home. However, someone had already taken her place. A fake heiress, the pampered little princess. Her coy acting and innocent façade made Elisa's real mother love her more than Elisa, her real daughter. That made Elisa, though, the true daughter end up as an adopted child. "Elisa, could you try not to appear in front of her too much as it could trigger her insecurities." Her parents had told her because of the fake heiress. "Elisa, You've taken everything away from her. Why can't you give her a little more?" Her fiancé had ordered her. Because of an unfortunate accident plotted by Isabelle-The fake heiress, Elisa was sent to prison and her family cut ties with her without a second thought. Four years, after much torture which led to her being crippled and blind on one eye, she was released, but got hit by a truck. While laying on the pool of her blood, she wanted to question, Why? Why had they all treated her so cruelly, while they love Isabelle unconditionally? She badly wanted to rip off Isabelle's mask of innocence, to reveal the fake, manipulative woman beneath. She was full of hatred. But after her death, she woke up back to when she was 18 years like all that happened were all nightmare. She was elated. She was reborn to re-live all that had happened in her last life, but now, her mission was to reveal mask beneath that woman and make everyone that made her suffer in her past life pay. It was her time for revenge! And definitely, she won't mess this up!