A kiss can change everything. One kiss with your best friend, and it changes the whole dynamic. What will you do when you get to know that your best friend has been in love with you? What will you do when she doesn't want to be friends anymore and wants more instead? * "Everytime I see you with a guy, my skin fucking burns" Millie hisses, pinning me with an intense look that makes my belly flip. I am pinned to the wall with her caging me. "Do you know how hard it is to pretend that you are only my friend, and nothing more? That I love you but cannot have you?" Her words spin inside my head, and the thundering beating of my heart echoes in my ear. How do we come to this situation? I pant as she leans closer, her eyes averting to my parted lips. I am having thoughts of kissing her. Hell, I see her in my dreams so often now that I am not sure what she means to me now. Millie caresses my cheeks and a shiver runs down my spine. "I can't pretend anymore, Grace. It's getting really hard" she whispers in my ear and I squirm. When she meets my eyes, I say something that surprises her. "Then don't." I crash my lips on hers, crossing whatever lines we had.
Sixteen.
Sixteen is this damn weird age-you're not a kid anymore, but being an adult feels like putting on a suit three sizes too big. It's that awkward stage where you're still getting the hang of it, stumbling around, pretending to have shit figured out when, really, you're as clueless as ever.
Friendships get messier, crushes get more complicated, and everything feels like it's got hidden layers. Suddenly, nothing's innocent anymore.
Take the cafeteria at Halloway High, where Shawn Jones, king of the shallow end of the gene pool, is strutting around like he owns the place. He's got this cocky smirk plastered on his face, basking in all the attention he's raking in.
Today, he's bragging about his latest "accomplishment"-some sleazy, fucked-up story about sleeping with a teacher.
The second he starts talking, the whole place erupts with laughter, like it's some twisted badge of honor. And everyone's feeding into it, grinning and high-fiving like it's the coolest thing in the world.
And me? I'm just sitting there, my stomach flipping. I can't believe what I'm hearing. Since when did this become something to cheer for?
When did sleeping with someone who's supposed to be in charge of you, who's supposed to have a line they don't cross, become something people admired?
But all that cafeteria bullshit is a distant memory as I charge toward the basketball court, practically strangling my phone in my fist.
The morning sun's too damn bright, hitting my face like it's personally out to blind me. I scan the court, looking for her - Millie, smack in the middle of a game, her brown hair a wild mess and her face locked in that intense, "I'm-going-to-win-this-shit" look. She's about to make a shot when I yell out.
"Millie!"
She stops, ball still in hand, and squints in my direction, looking confused as hell. "What?" she yells back, like I just interrupted the most important play of her life.
"We need to talk!" I snap.
Five minutes later, we're in the changing room, and she's watching me with that irritatingly smug, raised-brow look.
She leans against the lockers like she didn't just drop a bomb into my morning.
"What's up, dimples?" she asks, smirking like she's got all the time in the world.
I shove my phone in her face, every ounce of chill gone. "What the actual fuck is this?" I say, my voice hard and pissed.
Her eyes dart to the screen, the cockiness on her face replaced by a flicker of surprise, and for a second, I think she might actually look sorry.
But no. Instead, she lets out this laugh - a full-on, head-thrown-back laugh, like this is the funniest damn thing she's seen all week. "Oh my God," she snorts, her eyes twinkling. "He actually replied?"
"Millie, what did you do?" I say, crossing my arms, the frustration boiling over. I swear, she just lives to mess with me.
She shrugs, like she's innocent or something. "Relax, I just borrowed your phone, shot him a text, and hit send. You're welcome."
"You texted him!" I choke out, feeling the urge to throw my phone across the room.
But honestly, the real nightmare here is what she texted him.
I throw her an incredulous look, barely able to believe what I'm seeing on my own screen. "I can't believe you actually sent him that." My voice is barely more than a growl, but Millie just grins wider, totally unbothered, which only makes me angrier.
"Oh, come on, Gracie," she says, rolling her eyes like I'm the one being ridiculous. "It's not that serious! Plus, now you know what a desperate, thirsty leech this guy is." She smirks, her tone so breezy.
I snatch my phone back from her and scroll through the texts. Every single word he replied with is burned into my brain now, courtesy of Millie.
Leaning in way too close, she starts reciting his last message right in my ear.
"'Sure! I'm a bit taken aback, babe. Didn't know you were into that, but I'm glad. Can I video call you tonight? I so want to show you my cock, and I'm sure you'll love it. Xoxo,'" she quotes, stifling another burst of laughter.
I shove her away, face twisted in disgust. "Ugh, Millie, shut up! His texts are so nasty, it's like... does he even hear himself?"
She just laughs harder, unbothered as ever. But I can feel my face heat up, that mix of embarrassment and rage bubbling over. "Why the hell did you think it was a good idea to text him, 'Hey, hottie, I'm horny. Can you help me?' Millie, I'm mortified!" I throw my head back, groaning at the ceiling, and she just shrugs.
"Gracie, stop freaking out. It's just for fun," she says, still chuckling. "Besides, now you know he's a total perv."
I smack her arm and drop down on the bench beside her, my mind still spinning. I glance down at my phone again, scrolling through the texts that I have with Finn.
I mutter, more to myself than her, "I actually thought Finn was... I don't know, like, a decent guy? I mean, he seemed chill." My cheeks still burn, the reality of Finn's gross response making my skin crawl.
"Guess I was wrong," I add quietly, feeling Millie's gaze on me as she finally softens a little.
"Yeah, but better to find out now," she says, patting my shoulder. And just like that, she's laughing again.
I can't help it-I burst out laughing too. The way Millie's cackling is infectious, her whole face lit up like she just won the lottery. I shake my head and tell her, "You're such a red guard for me, you know?"
She pauses, trying to catch her breath, brows scrunched in confusion. "Wait, what the hell is a red guard?"
Still laughing, I explain, "Every time I get close to making a boyfriend, there you are, ready to blow it all to hell." And it's true. She's like my personal disaster squad, always lurking with some ridiculous plan to ruin any guy I might have a chance with.
"Remember Harry?" I ask, and she starts grinning, knowing exactly where I'm going. Last month, Harry from my algebra class asked me out on a movie date. We'd been vibing pretty well for a couple of months, so I thought, why not?
But of course, Millie couldn't let that slide. Nope. She shows up in the theater, dragging along some random dude I didn't even know. Turns out, that random dude was Harry's secret crush. And apparently, that guy was also into Harry.
By the end of the night, they're making out in the back row, and I'm going home with Millie, who's doubled over, laughing her ass off like she just pulled off the world's best prank.
She pinches my cheeks then, and her expression softens as she looks right into my eyes. "I'll do anything to make sure you don't get hurt," she says, voice unexpectedly serious. "None of these guys deserve you."
I roll my eyes, but my heart squeezes a little. That's Millie for you-chaos wrapped in a protective shield.
She ruffles her sweaty hair back, all nonchalant, like she didn't just drop a mini emotional bomb on me.
"Oh yeah?" I say, smirking, "So, according to you, no one in the world deserves me because I'm too special?"
She shrugs, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Damn right. You should just be with me."
I nudge her shoulder, laughing. "Shut up, idiot." I pull her into a hug, holding her tight. For all her pranks and sabotage, she's my best friend, my partner in crime. I'd pick her over any guy, any day.
She smirks, pulling back just enough to say, "So... I'm your rebound, huh?"
I raise a brow, giving her a playful nudge. "You want that tag?"
She pretends to think it over, biting her lip, eyes twinkling with that same troublemaker spark. Then, turning to me with a grin, she says, "I'll tell you over text... or maybe I'll keep you waiting for a video call tonight."
She laughs again, full of mischief, and I can't help but roll my eyes.
"God, you love messing with me," I say, exasperated but grinning like an idiot.
Then, she leans closer, her laughter fading just a little, her face now inches from mine. "I love you," she says, soft but sure, the words hanging in the air, almost catching me off guard.
"My hatred is as strong as my love." When Liam- her best friend was admitted to the hospital, Lilliana was devastated. She refused to believe that Liam committed suicide. When Liam shut himself from the world, she went to the school to find the answers. But that didn't helped her in anything. And she knew that it was Liam who could tell her about the truth. So when she knew about the truth, she decided to give justice to Liam and teach a lesson to those who were responsible for Liam's condition. However, Lilliana wasn't expecting to meet a blue-eyed guy and get entangle with him. He was everything that she despised. Rowan Rogerson was the bad boy and the heartthrob of Crescent Heights. The more she tried to distance herself from him, the more he tried to pull her closer to him. Lilliana was slowly opening up to him when a shocking truth changed everything. What if Rowan was involved in Liam's case? What if he was the one to hurt Liam?
Amora (Athena) Followhill, the fierce and enigmatic leader of Arcillia’s most powerful mafia clan, has always stood apart. As the first female head in a world dominated by men, she is everything the women in her country are not—bold, fiery, intimidating, and unyieldingly brave. But beneath her tough exterior lies a secret, a craving for the forbidden, and a penchant for the wild and kinky. Her number one priority is finding Cario Santiago, the man who betrayed her and ruthlessly killed her grandfather. She has vowed to hunt him down and make him pay with his life. Nothing will stop her from fulfilling this promise. Amora's world takes an unexpected turn when she meets Vincent, a man whose devastating looks and magnetic charm make women lose their minds. For Amora, a night with a stranger is nothing new, just another fleeting thrill. But Vincent is different. He wants more than just a night. When she reveals her true identity, expecting him to back off in fear, Vincent only becomes more determined. He is relentless, his pursuit unwavering, and he makes it clear he will stop at nothing to win her heart. Amora is used to being the one in control, but Vincent’s persistence shakes her to the core. As time goes on, Amora finds herself slowly falling for him, an emotion beyond her control. However, what will happen when she discovers that the man to whom she has given her heart holds a secret that could destroy her world? In a game where surrender is not an option, the stakes have never been higher.
"There will be no falling in love, we will only act as a loving couple when we are in public, we will share a room to make it believable, but no intimacy, touching is off-limits. We'll only have sex once a month, and that's solely to produce an heir. You won't interfere in my business, and I won't interfere in yours. You will be my wife in every sense and you will not be involved with any other man," he said, arrogance seeping from every word. I watch his mouth move, I'm not ready to fall in love with any man, especially not one as arrogant and egoistic as him. I can handle acting as a loving couple, and as for intimacy once a month. I can agree to that just to satisfy my sexual cravings with no strings attached. "Where can I sign?" I asked since I had nothing to lose. *** Nadine's wedding dreams turned to nightmares when she caught her sister and fiancé cheating! With a secret recording, she's ready for revenge. But then mysterious billionaire Logan West offers a deal: A Contract Marriage to take down her ex's empire. But what Nadine doesn't know is her life is getting complicated as she takes her chance to get revenge or risks everything for a chance at love?"
Five years ago, he upped and left his wife without informing her. He had always felt unworthy. As a result, he decided to go and become a better man. It took him five whole years of daily hard work. When he was satisfied, he returned as a powerful and honorable man. He intended to start a family with his wife. But he got back to meet the greatest shocker of his life. He actually had a daughter!
Sandra Hill, the long-lost real heiress of the Hill family, was shunned by her own kin. Instead of embracing her, they bestowed their affection upon an impostor. They even arranged her to marry a vegetative man in place of her so-called “sister”. Sandra sneered, refusing to put up with this humiliation, cut off ties with the Hill family immediately and ran into the flash marriage with Wesley Cooper, her unconscious billionaire husband. With her incredible medical skills, she defied the odds and revived him. Little did she expect that her husband spoiled her with all his love... A medical genius, a computer prodigy, a national treasure in painting, and a racing legend... Her husband revealed her various identities, leaving the Hill family regretful. Her father came pleading, "It's Dad's fault. Please come back." Her mother wept, "Mom will protect you from now on. Please come back." Even her five brothers knelt before he, begging for forgiveness. Yet, Sandra's smile held a hint of mockery as she vowed, “Never!”
In their three years of marriage, Chelsea had been a dutiful wife to Edmund. She used to think that her love and care would someday melt Edmund's cold heart, but she was wrong. Finally, she couldn't take the disappointment any longer and chose to end the marriage. Edmund had always thought that his wife was just boring and dull. So it was shocking when Chelsea suddenly threw divorce papers at his face in front of everyone at the Nelson Group's anniversary party. How humiliating! After that, everyone thought that the formerly-married couple would never see each other again, even Chelsea. Once again, she thought wrong. Sometime later, at an award ceremony, Chelsea went onstage to accept the award for best screenplay. Her ex-husband, Edmund, was the one presenting the award to her. As he handed her the trophy, he suddenly reached for her hand and pleaded humbly in front of the audience, "Chelsea, I'm sorry I didn't cherish you before. Could you please give me another chance?" Chelsea looked at him indifferently. "I'm sorry, Mr. Nelson. My only concern now is my business." Edmund's heart was shattered into a million pieces. "Chelsea, I really can't live without you." But his ex-wife just walked away. Wasn't it better for her to just concentrate on her career? Men would only distract her—especially her ex-husband.
A sudden twist of fate connected Helena to a prominent and influential person. To onlookers, she appeared as a naive bimbo. In truth, she was a top-tier specialist, shrouded in layers of hidden identities. Charlie declared, “She’s quite delicate and easily hurt. Cross her, and you’re crossing me.” The elite families, outwitted by Helena's prowess, kept these truths from him. Helena eventually broke free from Charlie, sending him on a frenzied worldwide hunt. To him, she was a bird with dazzling wings, and his goal was to help her reach new heights.
Jane Roberts has been married to the love of her life for two years and just when she thinks they're going to start a family, he divorces her and kicks her to the curb. Hurt and broken, Jane discovers that Marcus had actually been cheating on her with her cousin, Abigail and she had only been his means to an end. Enraged, Jane is determined to get her revenge, but without money and connections, Marcus will never be taken down. Just as she is about to give up all hope, Caleb Lockwood reaches out to her and agrees to help her but she has to get married to him first and their marriage needs to be kept a secret. Jane agrees to it, but will she and Caleb be able to dispute the pools of sparks and passion that threatens to consume their printed marriage? And what will happen when Marcus discovers their marriage and will stop at nothing to destroy their union and win his love back?