Chapters 1 -3 of Best of Friends 1 - Settling In “All Jack said was I look pretty. It was just a little comment, Noah.” Rachel inspected herself in her oversized vanity as she spoke, adjusting her black pushup with delicate fingers. “Jack creeps me out,” Noah said as he scrolled through the endless reels on his phone. He sprawled across Rachel’s bed, feeling the warmth from the sun streaming through the bay windows. “I th...

The following morning he showed up right on time, tool belt slung around his hips and that same easy confidence in his stride. She met him at the door, trying to stay casual, but warmth gathered in her throat under his gaze. “Morning, Laura.” “Morning,” she managed, stepping aside to let him in. The use of her first name threw her off a little. His eyes lingered on her face, on the faint flush she couldn’t quite will away...

The glass is cold against my forehead, unforgiving and sharp, whilst beneath my skin, feverish heat coils and burns. Outside, the autumn night lies still and shadowed. The only light spills soft gold from his window across the dark lawn. My room is a cave of darkness, a guilty secret I wear like skin. He doesn’t know I'm here, watching him. That furious, wicked thrill tightens beneath my ribs, a yearning both wrong and im...

With the school year now behind me, I sat at my desk and organized the contents of each drawer. My transistor radio played at low volume in order to fill the classroom's silence. I was humming along to a song by The Carpenters when a soft knock sounded on the half-open door. Looking up, I smiled to see Bradley lingering just outside. "Bradley, what are you still doing here?" A glance at the wall clock let me know it was a...

I was born of light and ordained in purity, an angel of the celestial realm raised amidst radiant song and unyielding law. From the start, I was vowed to uphold the sacred order. Every instinct within me was shaped by a duty to embody perfection, to deny the chaotic yearnings of flesh, and to silence the dark whispers that haunted my twilight hours. Yet beneath the gleaming veneer of holiness, a secret fire burned deep wi...

AJ slipped into the empty hallway, her blue gown a vibrant splash in the daylight. She was doing some last-minute checks for her friend’s wedding, making sure everything was perfect before the big moment. As she checked off tasks on her mental list, a sense of calm washed over her. The ceremony would start soon, and she wanted everything just right. But as she worked, her gaze wandered around the hallway, taking in the fa...

I never planned on becoming someone’s dirty little secret, but that’s exactly what happened. He looked safe — the kind of man you could bring home to your dad. Instead, he turned out to be the man who undid me. I had been coming out of heartbreak for months. In hindsight, I probably wasn’t ready to date, but I told myself I needed to put myself out there. I had never been on a dating app before and, truthfully, I had no i...

I must have been 20 or 21 at the time, even then, I knew people always noticed my curves, especially my ass. It had been my best asset since I was a teenager, and I loved how it turned heads without me trying. The white boys couldn’t take their eyes off me, and the black boys were obsessed; they couldn’t stop talking about my “black girl’s ass.” Back then, I had a friend called Amy who was the same age. She was short, blo...

Jack’s fingers lingered a moment longer, drawing a shiver from me as Mark watched, silent and transfixed. Jack’s eyes met mine, then flicked to Mark, a silent question passing between them. I felt the heat of their attention, the anticipation thick in the air. Jack leaned in, his breath warm against my ear. “Let’s take this somewhere more comfortable.” He took my hand, leading me down the hallway. My legs felt unsteady, e...