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[UPDATED WEEKLY] "You may be his world, but you're the only thing that ever felt like home to me." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Some people never get second chances. Lilah never thought she'd get one with her brother's best friend. Lilah is quiet, kind, and inexperienced in love. Jackson is all rough edges-tattoos, a bad reputation, and a long history of girls who never stay. They're total opposites, and after years of silence, they're inconveniently forced back into each other's lives as reluctant project partners. Once, Jackson was the boy who helped pull Lilah out of the darkness when she was struggling. He was her best friend-her only friend growing up. Then he walked away without a word. Now, four years later, he's cold, distant, and impossible to read. And if he hates her, Lilah's determined to hate him right back. But when old wounds resurface and secrets unravel, the line between love and hate starts to blur. The boy who once protected her is still in there somewhere-hidden beneath his walls, his reckless reputation, and the weight of a lifelong secret he's been barely holding together that he refuses to talk about. Because some second chances come with a price. And this time, it might be her heart.

"We were just kids in love." Nicole is an outgoing senior in high school, hoping to make this year her best yet. She is the new girl in town and is looking forward to new friends and experiences. All seems to be going smoothly until meeting Tessa. In Tessa's eyes, Nicole is stealing everything that Tessa believes belongs to her. And she is in no way trying to hide her hostility towards Nicole. William, a green-eyed boy who has his life planned out for him, grew up in this town. He knows everyone and is popular amongst his friends. He makes an effort to spend every bit of his free time hanging out with his friends at the lake. When Nicole and William's eyes connect for the first time, neither one can look away. Is there such a thing as love at first sight? I want to think so. *** First Love, Forever Love is the first story that I had the pleasure of writing for a contest. Little did I know that this story would be the catalyst of my passion for writing. I loosely based this story on my husband's and my love story. While much of it is fiction, there are snippets of truth throughout. I hope you enjoy reading my story as much as I enjoyed writing it and revising it for ��������.

Romance trope: best friends to lovers. "You're supposed to be my best friend, but all I can think about is kissing you again." TEDDY: I somehow got stuck in the unfortunate "one of the guys" category. It was on accident, naturally falling into this role since my childhood best friend was a boy. The crush on my best friend was also an accident. He's always seen me as one of the guys. That is, until the one drunken night he didn't. The one that nearly ruined everything a decade ago. JENSEN: It was much easier when I didn't notice how hot my best friend is. It would be even better if the rest of the jackoffs in our small town would stop noticing too. I can still remember all the details from our night together years ago. The night we never talk about, yet it's still so fresh in my mind. But will a secret scar from a past relationship ruin everything? [This is BOOK ONE of the WITH YOU series, a small town romance series set in Minnesota about the lives of the dysfunctional, blended Anderson family - with an interwoven mystery built into the background that spans the entirety of the series.] **Title formerly The Rest of Forever**

He loved me, He loved me not He loved me, but not, in the way I needed him to say. "When you lose someone who use to be your everything it's like if the sun was to collapse or all the oxygen in the air was to run out. You don't think you can live without it and in fact you can't, because you become so immune to it, that there isn't life without it. I guess that's what happened when he left. " -Gangleader's lost, Jinx It had been 4 years since Jinx left the town she grew up in behind her in hopes of a more stable and normal life after she was broken in the best way possible by the Anderson's. But what if a tragedy strikes in the most unexpected way causing her to have to come back? What if the Anderson's are back, the ones who caused her disappearance in the first place? // It's been 4 years since Ace Anderson took his gang and left as far away as they all possibly could, all to protect his younger brother. But what if faith takes its course and gives him another chance to say all the things he couldn't all those years ago, but would Jinx actually believe him or would it just be a Gangleader's Lost? *Book 2 but can be read as a stand alone.* Heads will bump and hearts will collide and who's to say they'll all make it out alive.

[2022 YOUNG ADULT WATTY WINNER] Penny Brooks's life is nothing short of perfect; during her reign of being a mean girl at Royal High School, she has it all: a hot boyfriend, the coolest best friend who is the ultimate bully, and a position at the top of the food chain. What could be better? But when Penny and Annie are involved in a tragic accident one night, involving alcohol, stupid decisions, and pressure to remain in the midst of popularity, Penny's world is turned entirely upside down. Immediately ostracized from everything she'd worked so hard for, she must keep her head down - even when a mysterious new boy - who captures the attention of everyone, comes into the small town of Port Royal, North Carolina. Will Penny find her way back to the top? Or will the hatred of almost everyone who once idolized her, haunt her forever? ~ "This is one of best books I have read here on wattpad. The plot, the characters , the character developments, the twists, the scenes made it all better" -Maleesha_M "I actually think this is amazing" - xrosegold14 "The sequel to this is much awaited! So well written" - the_phone_typist "Your writing style is so beautiful" "I LOVE THIS BOOK OMG I DIDN'T KNOW I'D LOVE IT SO MUCH" - Jocelynn_04 "just binge read it and I loved this book!! excited for the second one ❤️" - jellbeanx

We all remember that first love. The one who we fell head over heels in love with who also destroyed us. When Emily meets Jay on her first day at the university, she quickly finds herself falling for him. But he has secrets he isn't ready to tell. Is Emily prepared to take the risk with him? Even if it means being the other woman? She knows he is going to shatter her, but she can't seem to tell him no. She is ready to give him her all. She also knows she will love him for the rest of her life.

Isobel's world is turned upside down when she meets a mysterious guy who reveals a devastating secret about her boyfriend. *** Isobel and Matt had been best friends for most of their school life when they decided to start dating. Comfortable around each other and knowing everything there was to know, a relationship seemed like a natural--and exciting--step for them. But with the novelty starting to wear off, Isobel struggles to accept that her loving boyfriend has changed, only remembering years of good memories with the guy she could talk to about anything. When Nathan arrives on the scene and secrets from the past become exposed, Isobel's world is set to change. Mysterious, dangerous and infuriatingly persistent, Nathan is the opposite of everything she's known. But maybe that's just what she needs to get over Matt.

"This was just supposed to be summer fun. That was what we agreed on." I tried to talk to him as he was vigorously shaking his head, tearing his gaze away from me. "You were never just a summer fun to me." He stared into my eyes and I felt exposed because I might have developed some feelings for him that I've never wanted to face. Heddy Lopez has just barely graduated and is trying to find the purpose of her life when her friends take her away for the summer before they go on separate ways. Little did she know that an old crush and complicated relationships would cross her way again making her last high school summer completely different than she'd expected it to be. Secrets, heartbreaks, and empty promises siege her over and over again. And they never seem to stop. But how much an already broken heart could take before fully giving up? Started: July (2022) - Finished: August 18 (2022) 123 000+ words

Choosing her cost me everything I'd ever loved... including her. I had everything a guy could ask for, a loving family, the perfect small-town life, and a promising future I had worked hard for. It should have been enough. She was off-limits, my parent's best friend's daughter, practically my sister. I fought my feelings, pretending our soul-deep connection didn't exist. When she confessed she felt the same, I pushed her away, believing our friendship mattered more than temporary infatuation. That she agreed should have come as a relief, but it left me with this void I didn't know how to fill. It's what drove me to the bonfire that night. Right there, with our friends as witnesses, I claimed her. Told her I loved her and made her promises I shouldn't have made. Hours later, it all came crashing down in a whirlwind of fire and ashes. That one split-second choice to go after a girl that wasn't meant for me cost me everything I loved. I never should have crossed that line or given in. It's why she'll forever be my greatest love and deepest regret. This tragic story is the beginning of our end...

[Small Town / Second Chance] When Jennifer heads back to her hometown after ten years to celebrate her grandmother's 70th birthday, she knows she'll have to face Matthew, once the love of her life. But what both of them don't expect is to have the feelings they had long buried inside to flourish back to life along with walls of resentment, and a sizzling attraction. Jennifer Bloom has completely escaped her small-town past. She's a successful interior designer with great clients and everything she's ever wanted. But when she's called back home to help plan her grandmother's 70th birthday party, she's partnered up with Matthew Hunt - once the love of her life. He's lived in town his whole life, and he's handsome, strong, kind, and the only man who's ever made her heart race. Experiencing life with Matthew again reminds Jennifer of all the things she's missing, even though she's got everything she once wanted. At one point, all those years ago, they thought they'd be spending their lives together, but life threw them a curveball, forcing her to make the decision to leave and never look back. Now, they realize love was never an issue; their problem has always been everything that comes in-between. He'd never move to the city, and Jennifer can't leave the life she's built behind. Walls of resentment still block the way, even though their love for each other still burns strong in their hearts. Can true love bridge the distance between them? Is love ever enough to make a relationship work? Is it finally their second chance?

What would you do when someone is trying to destroy your life? __________________________________ Alexander Russell has a girlfriend. She is beautiful, popular and has lots of secrets. When people around them started to meet unfortunate deaths and events, Alex believes his girlfriend Maddy is connected to them and her secrets would give answers to those unsolved mysteries. But what he didn't know is that he has his own secret. A memory he lost and the beginning of all those mysteries around him. What he knows is he has to protect Maddy and for that he has to find out her secrets. But like every other story there is mystery and more drama. Throw in Alex's detective brother who despises his girlfriend, Maddy's sister who confesses her love for him, a friend who holds a grudge against someone and a murderer who roams freely among them. Life cannot be more complicated for Alex and top of it dead bodies piling up. He thinks he needs to save everyone including Maddy and is trying to find clues digging into her past. But the clock is ticking faster than he thinks and he is the one who is running out of time. *Mature content because of the murder scenes. *Book cover designed by @Uditha_Designs2000

| COMPLETE | [this is the first draft of my story. so, if there's grammatical mistakes and continuity errors, i apologize and i will be editing in the future.] Lia James was living in a nightmare. It all started one night, when her mother was in a car accident, and never survived the night. She spent the remainder of the summer in mourning. She never ate, or left her bedroom for that matter. When her Dad started to notice the new habits, he suddenly became worried and requests she lives with her two best friends for her senior year across the country. Hesitantly, she accepts. Senior year was supposed to be the best year of her life. She made the Varsity Softball team, and she made tons and tons of new friends. That is, until she comes across Andrew Price: Local bad boy with a well-known reputation, and a heavy bank account. From leather jackets, to secrets, to new relationships, Lia finally comes to terms that her senior year will never be normal. Especially when her best friends and Andrew have a very public hatred towards each other. Will she manage to stay above the drama? Or will she fall into the crossfire of her best friend's feud? **** STARTED: 8/30/18 ENDED: 1/17/21 RANKS: #6- projectbadboys 2/12/20 #16 - heartstrings 1/17/19

"And it took me a while to realize it, but everything I've had to go through in this life, all the pain and sadness I've had to bear . . . well, its led me straight to you." • • • After tragedy strikes Morgan Scott's family, she finds her life changing drastically again and again throughout many failed attempts of starting over. It doesn't seem to matter where Morgan ends up, the secrets and pain of her past continue to haunt her, reminding her that "starting over" isn't nearly as easy as it sounds. Ending up in her father's hometown a few months after the day her life changed forever, Morgan finds her life changing once again, and she only hopes that this time will be for the better. It isn't until after a run-in with the town's golden boy, Jack Crawford, that Morgan realizes no amount of starting over will take away the memories of the past. What Morgan doesn't know is that Jack has a secret of his own that's eerily similar to hers. And what neither of the two know is that their secrets will unintentionally bring them together, reminding the duo that they aren't as alone as they often feel. [COMPLETE] [WATTPAD EDITORS' CHOICE LIST 2021]

"I could never get her out of my head, no matter how hard I tried. I could never move on with my life. I fought, and I fought, but it was pointless. She was ingrained in my mind and soul, and I despised her for it. Lexi Black was the bane of my existence, and I wasn't going to rest until I ruined hers." After a tragic accident tears them apart, Lexi and Carson become estranged. Having been best friends for almost all their lives doesn't seem to matter to Carson as he leaves her behind without looking back. Struggling with her new reality and unable to move on from the loss that shook her to her core, Lexi turns back to her small town. Caring for a sick mother and working a dead-end job seems to be all that life has in store for her, until he reappears. 7 years later, Carson is back in town, determined to ruin Lexi's life like she destroyed his. Secrets come to light, and confessions threaten to decimate whatever is left of their relationship when Lexi decides that there is no going back. Some mistakes can not be fixed, and hearts can not be unbroken. *A small town, friends to enemies to lovers love story that paints grief through love in a whole different light.*

Ivy knows it's time to return to her childhood seaside town to battle the demons of her past. Two years away from her friends, family and the beloved sandy beach that holds such a special place in her heart. She knows the visit will be painful but she's ready to find her closure. With wishes to build new memories to mask the old ones, nothing can tear her down anymore. When Ivy pulls up outside the house she grew up in, she's reunited with her older brother, not long before he drops the bomb that his best friend from university will be staying with them for the summer. His friend, JJ, who Ivy soon remembers she had a steamy one-night stand with less than a week ago. It was a night of sambuca shots, laughter and lots of... pleasure. Ivy knows one thing for sure-despite her utter shock and concern for the situation-her brother can never find out. Not if they both want to keep their sanity. But will their attraction for each other get them into trouble? It might be worth the risk. 18+

~"You don't- you don't need me." I stared in shock. This was the first shred of emotion he'd shown since he started avoiding me, and I had no idea how to respond. What was I supposed to say to something like that? So I let myself be honest, and I told him exactly how I felt. "But I do." I almost choked on my words. "I do need you. I can't talk to anybody else. I can't eat. I can't sleep. And I know you know what that's like."~ Liliana is now an orphan. Just 17 years old, she lost her parents in a boating accident and now she must live with her best friend, her best friend's parents and her best friend's brother, Joseph. She struggles through her grief as well as dealing with the mysterious but obnoxious Joseph, and it soon comes to light that he isn't the only one around her keeping secrets. Living under the same roof, tensions arise, and Liliana begins to discover that a perfect family may not be so perfect after all." If you like a good old slowburn, enemies (ish) to lovers, bonding over tragic backstories type beat then this story is for you, I promise :) #1 in #bestfriendsbrother (didn't note the exact date - some time in January 2021) #1 in #dealing with death (11/04/21) amazing cover by @sixty6ix !!

"I want to go back to my old ways." Ezra said in a monotone. It felt like he held no emotion. I stood dumbfounded not knowing what to do? "I tried you know, it's been eleven fucking months we're dating and I still can't expct anything from you to pleasure me." Is this what our relationship was all about? I thought to myself. Still didn't have the guts to say anything. "The hell how can I want you Leila? You're own mother didn't even want you." As soon as those words came out of his mouth, I felt like something died inside of me that day. 'My own mother didn't even wanted me.' I heard some people gasp not believing that was actually happening. I held my head high and with as much grace as I could muster I walked out of the gym that was so beautifully decorated for the homecoming. ___________________________________ Erza Abe Alder heartthrob of Lake Pearl High school. Leila Grace Rena not the kind of girl you come across everyday. Read further and find out what happens when Ezra dumps Leila at senior prom? They're soon off to collage as they have a whole new set of adventure ,trouble, ups and downs mixing a little bit of jealous ex-boyfriend drama, a whole lot of making out and love triangle and then finally came love.

Book three in The Someday Series In the final installment of the Someday series, Brooks and Sydney are once again pulled apart, each uncertain about their future together. A sudden twist of fate finds Brooks at a crossroads, yet determined to mend things with Sydney. The question remains: can he deliver the 'Someday' he promised or is the rift between them too deep, the damage irreparable? As Sydney is determined to move forward without him, she finds herself inexplicably pulled back into his world unable to avoid the depths of the connection they always shared. With the completion of The Graveyard imminent and Layla's wedding on the horizon, they must navigate the chaos of their lives and the turmoil within their hearts. The question remains, will they find their way back together or is it time that they finally part ways? *This story is part of a three-part series and contains elements of grief and conversations about cancer treatment as well as anxiety. I always intend to treat these subjects with the love and care they deserve.

Book two in The Someday Series It's been five years since Sydney Graves left Westville behind after Brooks crushed her heart and the future they had someday hoped to have. Life in North Carolina has been everything she dreamed it would be but she can't help but feel her heart is still tied to the past. Every time she tries to move on the heartbreak that haunts her refuses to release its grip. Ready to put her past behind her, Sydney and Quinn decide it's time to return to their roots for a visit in search of the closure they desperately need. It's not until life unexpectedly takes a turn that Sydney decides her time back home isn't as short-term as she thought and she finds herself tangled up in business with none other than Brooks Dawson. Tempers flare, passion ignites and Sydney tries everything she can to let go of him for good. Brooks Dawson is more broody and less charming than the boy he was in high school. He has built a successful business and created a life that would make his late father proud. There is no chaos and nothing unexpected until the night that Sydney Graves came sauntering back into their small town like she owned the place. Her presence unlocked a piece of Brooks that he had buried long ago but he can't seem to keep his feelings at bay or his distance from the girl he loved. As he tries to keep a handle on his life and his heart things get messy, tensions grow and he's forced to take a look at his life and the way he's been living it. Can Brooks and Sydney find their way as friends or will his place in her life always be in her heart? Will they let go of each other for good or will the tether that's always held them together prove stronger after all? *there are sensitive subjects talked about regarding grief and loved ones receiving cancer treatment. my goal is to treat these topics with complete respect and care.