I fell in love with my childhood friend. Sometimes the love of a younger boy can make people feel both love and hate.
"Ava Morgan, you have such a pleasant scent. I'm bound to be intoxicated by you."
In the dim light, Conor Green narrowed his eyes as he looked at me, with beads of sweat dripping down his cheek onto my chest.
He held my waist with one hand and grasped my crossed wrists with the other, moving in accordance with his desires, and from time to time, he would say a few words to tease me.
I yelled at the top of my lungs, "Conor, for God's sake, be gentle!"
I was wrong. I shouldn't have said that he was incompetent.
1.
Conor and I are childhood friends. He's one month younger than me. Even though it's just a month's difference, but I always got along with him in the capacity of his sister.
At that time, I was devastated by the fact that I had been cheated on. With tears streaming down my face, I dialed my parents' number to pour out my grief to them.
They were surprisingly excited: "Oh, you should've broken up with that Yang guy ages ago. Conor said he'd come back tomorrow to keep you company. See how considerate he is? I gave him the keys."
I thought, "Do I have a choice to refuse?" Clearly not.
Shortly afterwards, Conor's call came in, and he sounded livelier than ever. "Ava, I'll be back tomorrow morning. Wait for me at home."
"Why are you coming back for?"
I didn't understand.
If my memory served me right, he was quite far away from me. It would take six or seven hours to drive here. And he was accompanying four middle-aged people on a trip. It was really a tough job for a young guy like him.
Compared to him, I felt like a terrible daughter!
He gave a chuckle on the other end of the line, sounding as if he was in a good mood. "Of course, it's to celebrate that you've successfully become single again! Ava~"
I was speechless. Successfully became single again? This statement was ambiguous. Is there no love left in this world? Why were all of them so happy when I mentioned the breakup?" I was plunged into self-doubt.
"Remember, Ava, open the door for me tomorrow. I'll take you out for some good food." He was grinning smugly, and I felt like punching him.
The next day, I was woken up by the continuous ringing of the doorbell. Having cried all night, I could hardly open my eyes.
I felt like yelling curses at whoever it was that had the nerve to come over so early in the morning. Then it suddenly occurred to me that Conor had told me last night that he would come today. I checked the time. 2:00 PM. Oh no. I scrambled to the door.
Sure enough, when I opened it, there was Conor with a dog, both staring at me. "Ava, I was almost about to kick the door down." Ava, you look a bit messy. Look at my dog, Nesus. Doesn't it look a lot like you?"
Conor lifted the little Alaskan Malamute in his arms and forced it to make eye contact with me.
I had just woken up and was still a bit confused. I tried hard to open my eyes which were crusted with sleep. I nodded subconsciously and said, "It does look a bit like me."
A snicker came from behind the dog's head, and then I realized I'd been tricked.
"Conor, are you looking for a death wish?"
I cursed at him, snatched Nesus from him before closing the door, and shouted at the dog, "Don't listen to your daddy. He's not a good guy!"
Nesus barked a few times at me as if in agreement. I gave its head a pat. Nice dog.
Meanwhile, Conor was still persistently scratching at the door. "Ava, can't you show a bit of humanity? I've been driving for six hours! Ava, you let the dog in but not me. I'm treated even worse than a dog! Ava, I'm sorry. Please let me in~" He continued.
Using both the carrot and the stick? Well, unfortunately for him, I'm not swayed by either.
I chose to block out the noise and put Nesus down. It was so well - behaved that it didn't bother me and just circled around my legs.
While I was brushing my teeth, I happened to glance at the mirror, and my hand holding the toothbrush trembled slightly.
Oh my god! Who was this? Where did this ghost come from?
A messy mop of hair like a bird's nest, eyes swollen terribly, and a pale complexion. Conor's comment about me looking "messy" was quite fitting.
After a quick wash-up, I looked somewhat presentable again. I walked into the living room and, lo and behold, there was Conor again.
Oh, I forgot. He had my house key, given by my mom.
I snapped at him angrily, "Conor, why bother knocking when you have the key? Are you crazy?"
Without looking up, Conor said, "Just being polite. It's just my formality." The food is on the table. Help yourself. No need to thank me or pay for it."
He sat cross-legged on the sofa, with Nesus nestled in his arms. He focused on the screen, his fingers swiping the screen continuously. It seemed that he were playing online games.
I was really starving. I didn't have the energy to argue with him. So I picked up a spoon and started eating heartily.
Watching the young man on the sofa, with his sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, his face striking, the childishness of the past was gone.
Suddenly, I realized that we had known each other for twenty years. Both of us had grown up.
"Ava, stop looking at me like that. It's freaking me out." His warm, pleasant yet infuriating voice interrupted my train of thought when I was reminiscing, and then I realized that I had been staring at him for quite a while.
Conor put down his phone, with Nesus in his arms, huddled in the corner of the sofa, his eyes wary.
I gave him a roll of my eyes and said, "Can you be normal? Do I look like a hoodlum?"
But Conor was still in his over-dramatic mode, constantly yelling, "I'm your little brother, Ava. You can't treat me like this."
When we were children, it was very difficult to get Conor to acknowledge that he was my little brother.
Later, I had no idea what had spurred him on, but he kept saying "I'm your little brother" all day long.
To be honest, his tone that was full of sarcasm made me feel a bit disgusting.
I still liked the little boy from before-the stubborn little brat with a runny nose.
"I don't have a dorky brother like you." I casually grabbed two bottles of yogurt, tossing one to him.
Conor caught it with a cheeky grin.
He sat beside me and stuffed Nesus into my arms, saying, "Take good care of your mother."
"Nesus, don't listen to your daddy's blabbering. I'm your grandma."
Conor said with a grin, "Then I'm your grandpa!"
Too lazy to pay attention to him, I leaned back resignedly with Nesus in my arms and said, "My youth is gone for good."
Her fiance and her best friend worked together and set her up. She lost everything and died in the street. However, she was reborn. The moment she opened her eyes, her husband was trying to strangle her. Luckily, she survived that. She signed the divorce agreement without hesitation and was ready for her miserable life. To her surprise, her mother in this life left her a great deal of money. She turned the tables and avenged herself. Everything went well in her career and love when her ex-husband came to her.
Rumors claimed that Fernanda, newly back with her family, was nothing more than a violent country bumpkin. Fernanda just flashed a casual, dismissive grin in response. Another rumor suggested that the usually rational Cristian had lost all sense, madly in love with Fernanda. This frustrated her. She could tolerate gossip about herself, but slander against her beloved crossed the line! Gradually, as Fernanda's multiple identities as a celebrated designer, a savvy gamer, an acclaimed painter, and a successful business magnate came to light, everyone realized they were the ones who had been fooled.
Blurb "Part your legs for me, princess" Alpha Damian humored huskily like he was intoxicated, I whimpered as he voice sents a jolts of emotions round my body. An emotion that I wasn't supposed to feel. Selene was 18 years old when she found out that Alpha Jasper of the Silver Crescent pack was her mate at her Awakening ceremony. Being a reject with no parents she lived with him for over one year as a slave and he never acknowledged her as his mate because he couldn't accept a reject as his mate. On her 20th birthday, her mate not only rejected her and chose her best friend; Imogen, as his new mate, but he also sold Selene to the most feared Alpha; Alpha Damian of the Crimson Moon pack whom everyone referred to as a beast. Not knowing why Alpha Damian chose to buy her, she can only resign herself to fate. What has the moon goddess installed for me again? Is this the freedom she solely crave for? Will she be tied down with the shackles of the unknown?
Julia and Evan were the perfect couple-or so she thought. But everything changed when Evan abruptly ended their relationship, leaving her heartbroken and unable to tell him she was carrying his child. Years later, Julia has built a life for herself and her son, Andy, while Evan has risen to unimaginable wealth and success. Their paths cross again at a chance meeting, but Julia soon discovers Evan has moved on with someone else. Julia is done with the pain. She's fought battles alone, raising a son who deserves the truth about his father, even if Evan doesn't deserve her forgiveness. When Julia told Evan years ago she had something to say, he didn't listen. Now, it's time for him to listen. But is it too late to reclaim what he lost? "We should break up," he'd said, the words cutting through her like glass. The pregnancy test in her pocket stayed hidden, just like the child they would never share. Now, it's Evan's turn to hear the truth-and to face his deepest regret.
Bailey seems to be never destined to fit in, a little geeky, but under it all, a hidden beauty that so many seem to miss, but still not what her pack Alpha is looking for in a fated mate... so he is determined to reject her and make her life hell. Bailey, knowing her life will likely never be the same focuses on what she can control, her future, and heads off to study; becoming a teacher. Asher is the Beta of Autumn Valley Pack, a neighbouring pack. A broken man having suffered the loss of his mate after a rogue attack, Asher is slowly crumbling. Falling to pieces. A shadow of his former self, and not a man that anyone wants to be around anymore... Until, Autumn Valley Pack require a new teacher, and Bailey finds herself there and pushed together with the Beta. Is there a connection building or is that in their imaginations? And what will happen when Bailey's mate comes back to claim what is his?
The dream of everyone with regards to marriage is to be able to find that special someone and settle down with them. Even arranged marriages grant you an opportunity to meet your partner briefly before the wedding. How will you feel about waking up in the morning with someone sleeping next to you who is not just anyone but your legally married partner yet with no memory of how that had happened in just a few hours of going out the previous day? This is the story of Jason Haward and Julia Harrison, two strangers trapped in a marriage they never planned. The quest to find out why led to the unfolding of a mystery which made them realize they are both living a lie. To find out more, read this amazing story of love, betrayal, revenge and murder.