Open Door

He’s watching me—the man on my neighbor’s roof. And I think I like it.

My body comes to life under his gaze. All I can think about is the way this man would feel against my skin.

Until our connection snaps and suddenly he’s gone.

In my sleepy neighborhood, everything is exactly how it should be as I settle in on this quiet Halloween.

Then, in the dead of night, he’s here in my home.

Tempting me with his touch, refusing to tell me his name.

Only one night—that’s all he offers. And that’s all I’m willing to give.

When I wake up the next morning, I’m not surprised he’s already gone.

But nothing about the night makes sense, and with no evidence of it ever happening, I’m left questioning everything.

Only One Night is a Halloween novelette. A quick and wild ride meant to get you hot and bothered, then leave you wondering what on earth you just read. Only One Night is a dark, women's fiction, short story that has no HEA. This is not a romance. The story was created for you, the reader, to be able to live out your Halloween fantasies through the pages of this book. The female main character remains nameless and description-less, with minimal details of her life mentioned, so you can envision her any way you choose.

On paper, they’re a disaster. In the sheets, they’re a perfect match.

Kent Lester is proud of the joyful, thriving learning community he’s created as principal of Lear Elementary School. But seven years after his divorce, he’s ready to focus on his personal life and spread his bisexual wings. Things get off to a rocky start when Kent’s first date is an uptight control freak — although that doesn’t stop them tangling some sheets.

Vincent Manda never seems able to move past the friend zone, and besides, he’s not sure anyone can handle his OCD. But that night with the bearded, older Kent revealed a side of Vincent he’d never experienced before. And he’s equal parts scared of and desperate for a repeat.

When Lear’s test scores take a nosedive, Kent finds himself under the microscope. Forced to implement new software to monitor and collect school data, he’s horrified to discover that Vincent is heading up the project. With his last install ending less than ideally, Vincent’s job depends on this one succeeding — and butting heads with the principal won’t help.

Vincent and Kent need to view each other in a new light, but that could change their futures forever.

He was her first love. She was his only.

Mia Caldwell knows how to get stuff done. Armed with a plan to transform her family home into a veteran’s retreat, she employees the help of her childhood friend and former crush, Oliver Bennett. But banging the sexy blacksmith wasn’t on her to-do list.

No longer an awkward teenage boy, Ollie is all man now with a successful business, a panty-melting smile and a body that would make Thor jealous. But he’s not the only one who’s changed. Mia isn’t the same naïve teenager she was when she left Melville’s Cross and she isn’t afraid to go after whatever—or whomever—she wants.

Oliver Bennett knew from the first day they met: Mia Caldwell was the girl of his dreams. She was smart, funny and driven to succeed, not to mention she had a smile that could drop him to his knees and a dominant streak that could keep him where he fell.

All grown up and more commanding than ever, Mia still has the power to bend Ollie to her will, only this time he isn’t holding back. He never told her how he felt way back when and it’s not a mistake he’s willing to repeat, but as their friendship takes a turn into something more scandalous, can he convince Mia to give them the chance he knows they deserve, or is friends with benefits all they’re destined be…?

She'd given up on love, until he gave her his.

Abigail Bennett has the worst taste in men. Her husband left her for another woman and her boyfriend was a liar and a cheat, so the last thing she wants is another relationship. Sex on the other hand—or her total lack of it—is an ongoing concern. But maybe Wolf can help? And not just in the bedroom.

The annoyingly sexy, dominant author is exactly the type of man she needs to keep her ex-husband and his wandering hands at bay, but Wolf’s help comes with a price, and while Abby is willing to take him into her bed, she’s determined to keep him out of her heart.

Wolf Adams has one month to complete his manuscript and get it to his publisher, or forfeit his substantial advance. Sent to the country on retreat, the city boy is certain the change of scenery will motivate him to finish the book. But when he meets Abigail Bennett, he enters a game of cat and mouse unlike anything he’s faced before.

Unable to resist the voluptuous artisan, Wolf agrees to pose as Abby’s boyfriend and help ward off her ex’s unwanted attention, but only if she helps him finish his book. Because while he's happy to play her games, he has a few rules of his own…

Grace has a job she loves, a community she adores, and plenty of friends . . . but her lack of bedroom action has left this event planner too horny to think.

When one ill-advised night at the bar leads to her giving an exhibitionistic show to an unknown presence outside her bedroom window, she thinks she’s hit a new low. When her voyeur turns out to be a nebbishly charming mothman, Grace needs to decide if she can trust her body — and her heart — with this garnet-eyed stranger before he flys out of her life for good.

Sweet Berries is a monster/human romance featuring high heat and a lot of heart, with a guaranteed HEA. It is the second book in the Cambric Creek Steamy Sweet Monster Romance series.

He’s coming for you.

Death is meant to come on a chariot of broken dreams or in the dark trenches of a storm, not in love letters and gifts.

He did not take my soul when I was meant to die. He did not want it all the other times that I’ve offered it to him on a silver platter. Yet, time and time again, he reminds me that I am his: His night monster, his dark love, his perfect other.

Death was the only thing keeping me alive. He watches me from his corner, taunts me with sweet messages, marks my body with his touch as I sleep.

He took the people that I love away from me. Still, no one believed me when I said that I saw the faceless man on the night of the accident.

No one can escape death.

Me? I’m chasing it.

Don’t go near the pumpkin patch on Halloween night…

Jack Calloway is the pumpkin-headed boogeyman of Hallow Hill. As the legend goes, he was a man of wicked tastes, devilish allure, and had a knack for dark magic. He and his lover—my ancestor—were tried as witches and burned at the stake at the edge of Hallow Hill’s pumpkin patch.

Some say he made a deal with the devil to spare his lover’s soul and haunts the pumpkin patch to this day, waiting for her return.

“Don’t go near the pumpkin patch on Halloween,” they’ve always warned the women in my family. “Jack might get you.”
Too bad I don’t listen because I have to find out the hard way that ghost stories exist for a reason. And in Jack’s flames, I just might become one.

Shame. Prejudice. Fear.

All woven into the very fabric of my being. I'm swathed in them like the most suffocating cloak.

Beneath this toxic mantle, I wear my desires close to my heart.

Where it's dark.

Where they're safe.

If anyone can unstitch this cloak from me, thread by thread, and liberate me from it, it's this woman.

And this man.

Book Five in the Alchemy Series.

Broken, but not beaten.

Cami has been betrayed by her Triad, her heart shredded into tiny pieces.
But reprieve is impossible as attacks come from all sides. Those in power want the trial to fail more than anything and they aren’t the only ones who want her gone from Melbak.
Cami is forced to rely on the Triad that broke her, but that doesn’t mean she’s forgiven them.
With her shadow man Eyke by her side, she fights to stay safe in a world that doesn’t accept her.
But what secrets is he holding, and can she truly trust him?
Can her heart mend enough to forgive her Triad and work together to save Melbak?

Sometimes blood can wipe all debts clean.

Three jaded legion, one desperate human and a world in need.

Cami will do anything to repair the harm she has caused. Even if that means being taken to Melbak, a land where the creatures who live there, legion, detest humans. Cami holds the key to save the dwindling land that has become crippled by a mysterious, dangerous poison.

The power she holds can only be released by joining a triad. But the three legion who form hers complicate everything.

Tallis, who despises her on sight, determined to punish Cami until she runs.
Fenar, who treats everything like a game, and Cami, his new toy.
Wellyn, who seems to embrace Cami, but hides his true self like a dark secret.

They think to break her, but these legion have never met a human like Cami, and she will never give in. But as her relationship with her triad deepens, she finds she must fight the attraction that grows. It soon becomes clear that she is in imminent danger if her blood truly holds the power they need.

And it does.

Sometimes debts must pay with blood.

What would you do for a second chance at love?

Jane Melville has done some very stupid things in her life. Having an open sexual relationship with someone who turned out to be a thieving con man and left her standing at the altar—pregnant and penniless—was one of the worst.

With her dreams of owning her own catering business down the drain, and the prospect of working at her family's patisserie for the rest of her life looking more and more likely, Jane is determined to make the most of her misfortunes. After all, things could be worse. Her baby daddy might have turned out to be the con man instead of the tall, brooding lawyer, Rafael Bennett. But just because she's willing to have a baby with the man doesn't mean she has to like him.

Rafe Bennett's life has been one of responsibility and heartache. A long time ago, he was forced to give up the girl of his dreams, then made to bear the brunt of her anger for his trouble. In the years since, he has shared his bed with Jane Melville more times than he can count, snatching moments of erotic bliss whenever he can, but when she chose to marry someone else, Rafe walked away for good. Or so he thought.

When fate thrusts Jane back into his life—complete with baby on board—Rafe seizes the opportunity with both hands. He lost her once and never truly got her back, but he's determined to change their fate. He knows in his heart that with a little persuasion and a whole lot of cake, everything will be different this time around!

Dimitri Alexeyev used to be the Tzar of Novo-Svitsevo. Now, he is merely a broken man, languishing in exile after losing a devastating civil war instigated by his estranged husband, Alexey Balakin. In hiding with what remains of his court, Dimitri and his spymaster, Vasily Sokolov, engineer a dangerous ruse. Vasily will sneak into Alexey’s court under a false identity to gather information, paving the way for the usurper’s downfall, while Dimitri finds a way to kill him for good.

But stopping Alexey is not so easy as plotting to kill an ordinary man. Through a perversion of the Ludayzim religion that he terms the Holy Science, Alexey has died and resurrected himself in an immortal, indestructible body—and now claims he is guided by the voice of God Himself. Able to summon forth creatures from the realm of demons, he seeks to build an army, turning Novo-Svitsevo into the greatest empire that history has ever seen.

Dimitri is determined not to let Alexey corrupt his country, but saving Novo-Svitsevo and its people will mean forfeiting the soul of the husband he can’t bring himself to forsake—or the spymaster he’s come to love.

Sometimes one night is all it takes...

A year and a half of therapy has barely put a dent in the guilt Amanda McGregor still feels over her ex boyfriend. And she hasn’t even mentioned to her therapist how much she dislikes her body.

So when her flatmate Alison comes up with a plan to help Amanda get over her guilt - a plan that involves alcohol and flirting…and maybe a little pool sharking…Amanda goes along for the ride…

…Levi Fox has finally extricated himself from a toxic relationship, and he just wants to focus on his next goal - qualifying for the Australian Olympic Rowing Team. He’s not looking for a rebound hookup, and he’s definitely not looking for love when he heads out to his local pool bar for a few drinks with his mates…

Sparks fly when the pair meet, and things between the two escalate quickly. But life has a way of throwing a spanner in the works.

Levi faces a bombshell that explodes right in Amanda’s face, flinging the pair headfirst into a situationship with an expiry date that neither of them want to discuss. And with Levi’s ex stirring up trouble, dredging up Amanda’s past and present pain, is the mind blowing chemistry these two share enough for them to build something worth fighting for?

The only size that matters is the size of your heart.

Sophie Bennett has the world at her feet. As a bonafide plus-sized fashion icon, designers want to dress her, celebrities want to date her, and her Instagram is awash with fans. So why does she feel so alone?

When she shares a midnight kiss with a sexy stranger, what began as an unguarded moment at a New Year’s Eve party evolves into a tantalising game of seduction, a game she surrenders to completely. But Sophie never expected the man who’d rocked her world would turn out to be her new boss. Not good.

Jack Martin succeeds at everything he does. Except relationships. He’s had his heart broken in the worst possible way, but when he spies Sophie Bennett—his celebrity crush—on New Year’s Eve, her vulnerability calls to his Dominant nature and he quickly discovers how sweetly submissive she truly is.

As the new CEO of Martin Cosmetics, Jack can’t afford to get distracted. When Sophie declares their one night stand a mistake never to be repeated, distracted becomes his new normal. He accepts her reasons for pushing him away, especially when photos surface that threaten her hard-earned reputation. But when two little lines appear on a pregnancy test, all bets are off. Sophie Bennett will be his.

He owns her soul … but she’s stealing his heart.

Satan Junior Lucifer, reluctant Crown Prince of Hell, has a lot on his shoulders. In the face of a soul famine, his father the King has tasked him with finding a way to lure more souls to Hell.

With the help of his Hell Hounds, he invents a devious new way of tricking humans into selling their soul for whatever frivolous thing their heart desires, under the assumption that they can earn it back in four payments.

But before he can present his ground-breaking idea to Daddy, he really should test it out on an unwitting human … and he’s got his eye on one in particular …

***
Jemma Bliss, volunteer art therapist and cosplay crocheter to the local ferret population, enjoys the simple things in life. A ride-or-die bestie, a bookshelf of monster romance novels, and indulging in a gluten free donut after a hard day’s work running her market stall.

But when a giant, smirking, annoyingly sexy man purchases every last donut on a particularly stressful Saturday—and won’t even share a single one with her—Jemma goes home alone to drown her sorrows.

One too many wines, some very odd text messages, and suddenly Jemma finds her soul is the property of the son of Satan … and she’s caught up in a battle to win it back from him.

Her plan? Well, the devil seems quite enraptured by her, so maybe she could take a leaf out of her monster books, and shag her way out of this little pickle she’s found herself in?

As long as pesky feelings don’t get in the way, that is …

He taught her to trust. She taught him to love.

Lucy Barton learned the hard rules exist for a reason. Seventeen years have passed since the devastating day she changed from a fun-loving twenty-three-year-old to the strictly controlled forty-year-old who uses speed dating as a way to scratch her itches without the inconvenience of commitment—not that anyone’s lining up to commit to a woman with only half a face.

When a chance meeting with her new boss, the enigmatic Toby Bennett, promises a wealth of carnal pleasure, she’s faced with two use him to scratch her itch for a night, then cut and run as usual, or stick around for a while and learn the true meaning of control.

Tobias Bennett has always known he was different. His towering height and quiet nature aside, it’s his need for control in and out of the bedroom that sets him apart from most men. While acting as wingman for his twin brother, he comes face-to-face with his new office manager, Lucy Barton.

The wealth of scars trailing down the right side of her face and body intrigues him, but it’s her guarded disposition that has him itching to teach her a lesson she’ll never forget. One night in Lucy’s arms has Toby craving so much more, but she’s a no-strings-attached kind of woman. That’s her golden rule. But Toby knows better than anyone, some rules are meant to be broken.

A human girl ... a mysterious stranger ... a forbidden attraction ... a deadly craving...

All Blaire wants is to survive the tedium of yet another family summer vacation to Greenrock Island, Michigan with her best friend Jack and their parents. She's counting down the days until she can escape to college as far away from her parents as possible.

But something feels off this summer. Their parents lock themselves away in the den and day-drink, leaving Blaire and Jack to entertain themselves. And then there is the hot guy with intense green eyes who Blaire caught a glimpse of on the ferry...the one she can't stop thinking about.

***

Roman feels compelled to visit Greenrock with his sister Ellis for the summer. And when Blaire shows up unexpectedly in their very private hideaway, he's convinced she is a danger to them. But his cravings for her go far beyond anything he has ever felt before. Either way, he has to keep her away from them, for everyone's sakes.

Because Roman has a huge secret...one that has the potential to end Blaire's life, if he succumbs to it. But Blaire has a secret too—she just doesn't know it yet...

As the pair struggle against their need for one another, forces beyond their control are gathering, preparing to converge on Greenrock and tear apart everything the two hold dear.

Briar Hunt has always been lauded for his grace on stage, except by one person from whom he wants it the most. Desperate to earn the affection he craves, Briar makes a late night deal with a high fey lady: If he can perform a single perfect dance at one of her woodland revels, she will make him the most enchanting thing on two legs.

However, Briar quickly learns the fey lady is impossible to please. Not only that, her demands are never-ending, enough to slowly unravel his life and his health. Only when a handsome stranger, Mal, arrives claiming he can help Briar break his deal and earn his freedom back, does Briar think he might be saved.

Lord Malric d'Alarie has finally broken free of dancing on command for his mother at her fey revels. But after hearing he's been replaced, he attends one of her parties to see for himself. The human performing in his place is breathtaking--but Malric dreads what kind of deal the dancer made with his mother in order to be there.

Wanting to rescue Briar from the same woman who stole his own love for ballet, Malric inserts himself into Briar's life from every angle possible. From posing as a dance instructor in the human world to hiding behind a mask in the fey world, Malric promises he can set Briar free of his fateful deal. Malric only has to keep his identity--and his intentions--secret, from both the dancer he's quickly falling for, and his mother, who controls their every move.

Xander

Big City is supposedly the place where dreams come true. As someone just trying to live my life, I can tell you, it’s more like a recurring nightmare where dreams get c*ckblocked at every turn.

Especially if you’re a supervillain like me.

The irony is that I have zero powers, despite coming from purebred villain stock, but try telling that to Big City’s beloved hero, Captain Masculine.

This himbo is ruining my research, and if his firepower doesn’t kill me, the sight of him in Lycra surely will. Luckily—or unluckily, in my opinion—my bestie just signed me up for the Bangers dating app and found my perfect match.

If this isn’t the start of my villain arc, I don’t know what is.

Butch

It’s hard feeling like I have to wear a mask every day—that the only value I bring to the table is the sparkling image others have created for me.

Such is the life of being Captain Masculine, Big City’s greatest superhero. This is the existence I was destined for, and I will gladly defend this city against every threat to its people.

Except Doctor Antihero.

I’ve seen countless villains come and go, but something about Antihero intrigues me more than the usual hero-villain encounters should.

It’s because of him that I impulsively signed up for a dating app, hoping a meaningless fling with a local normie will help get my head back in the game. The truth is, what I really want is someone who sees me—the man behind the mask.

But that’s a luxury no superhero can afford.

Baltasar

It’s time for me to start pulling my weight in the Suarez clan—to prove I’m worth more than the plays I make on the field or the dirt I dig up on rival families. I want to make Wolfy proud.

And not get unalived by Simon.

So I volunteered what I had to offer, knowing my infamous genes could be used for uniting two powerful clans in marriage. After all, I’m the only not-gay one in my family, so that alone should entice the super-babes looking to get busy with baby-making.

I mean, as long as they don’t ask me to do math or anything.

But the last supe I expected Wolfy to match me with was the ice queen hero herself, Dahlia Salah. She's not bad, but her brother is my former Deathball rival, and the only one on the planet who can make me Hulk out with a single snarky word.

All I have to do is keep my eye on the prize and ignore this weird tension between Zion and me.

I’ve totally got this.

Zion

I never would have guessed Baltasar Suarez would be the man to lock down my sister.

But shady business deals are what make our world go ‘round, and Dahlia sealed her fate when she went up against the leaders of his clan—as if she were destined for our legendary throne instead of me.

Not that I've been interested in wearing the crown.

Not after everything that happened.

Without Deathball to distract me, I spend most of my time keeping my daughter safe and happy, even though her mother is gone and my parents treat her like an outcast.

Otherwise, I’ve just been… existing. Until Baltasar showed up, as tempting as ever—reminding me of all I’ve lost, and everything I’ve ever wanted. Everything I can never have.

Or can I?

My beast—my true supe form—has already decided the villain is ours, so why not remind my backstabbing family that everything under this roof is destined to belong to me?

Starting with him.

Cassian Rhodes is just a normal guy going through normal college stuff:

Weird roommate? Check.

Panic over grades? Check.

Hockey Shenanigans? Check.

Sexuality Crisis? Uh…

Falling for your roommate? Hold on…

Finding out your new BF’s family is magic? Wait, WTF!?
MIGHTY QUILL is a roommates to idiots to lovers, bi awakening, paranormal shifter romance. Lots of steam, fluff & magic goodness.

How many times will we kill each other? How many times can we fall in love?

Seth

I always thought my world would begin and end with Jayce Walker. When a sleep study offers us life-changing money, we jump at the opportunity. There’s only one I don’t have insomnia. Bluffing my way in is easy, but getting there and losing everything that’s ever mattered is a nightmare I can’t escape.

Jayce is gone. My only ally is a voice in my head named Clay, who insists the body walking around — the one I’ve known and loved my entire life — belongs to a man named Kade, and he only wants one thing.

To kill me.

Kade

Most people don’t get second chances, but I did. Brought back to life by a power-hungry company, I have one thought: I want revenge.

But... the man I’m chasing isn’t Clay. His name is Seth, and all my years of being a heartless, psychopathic killer never prepared me for the way his wide eyes make me feel. I don’t know how to deal with the emotions still knocking around in my chest that used to belong to someone named Jayce.

They make me question things. They make me wonder if my agenda has changed…

I want to make Seth mine.

Payne

In search of: room to rent.

Must ignore the patheticness of a forty-year-old roommate.

Preferably dirt cheap as funds are tight (nonexistent).

There’s nothing sadder than moving back to my hometown newly divorced, homeless, and lost for what my next move is.

When my little brother’s best friend offers me a place to stay in exchange for menial duties, I swallow my pride and jump at the offer.

I need this.

I also need Beau to wear a shirt. And ditch the gray sweatpants. And not leave his door ajar when he’s in compromising positions ...

Beau

In search of: roommate.

Must be non smoker and non douchebag.

Room payment to be made in meal planning, repairs, and dumb jokes.

Since my career took off, I barely have time to breathe, let alone keep my life in order. I’m naturally chaotic, make terrible decisions, and scare off potential dates with my “weirdness”.

So when Payne gets back into town and needs somewhere to stay, I offer him my spare room with one condition: while he’s staying with me, I need him to help me become date-able.

And while he does that, I can focus on my other plan: ignoring that Payne is the only man I’ve ever wanted to date.

Molly

Moving to Seattle is supposed to be all about getting a fresh start and leaving the bitter man I was becoming behind.

I have new roommates–quirky, sometimes strange, roommates–a nosy, next door neighbor and a grumpy kitty for company, but even surrounded by people, I still don’t feel like I belong. Plus, it turns out the men in Seattle are exactly the same as the ones I left behind, and my string of romantic disconnections continues.

It’s not until one of my roommates, Seven, hits me with some hard truths that I realize where I was going wrong.

Maybe the men aren’t the problem.

I am.

And there’s only one way to fix that.

Seven

Being found tied up naked to my bed by my cute new roommate isn’t an ideal way for us to start a friendship.

But apparently a quid-pro-quo is.

He keeps his pretty lips zipped about the compromising position, and I step in as his dating coach. We go out, I note where he’s going wrong, and he magically becomes dating material.

The problem is, between my codependent brother Xander and a new best friend I can’t get rid of, Molly and I are the target of a matchmaking scheme. My life is way too busy to add another person to it, and Molly is the kinda guy who needs to be made a priority, which I just can’t do. Xander’s medical anxiety takes up too much of my time, and I’ve never found a partner who doesn’t resent it.

I’m determined to help Molly find his ever after.

But that guy will never be me.

What do you do when you’re a hit man … who’s terrible at his job?

At first, I thought it would be an easy payday. A few pew pews for bad people, a couple of suitcases of cash for me. People have done worse for an honest living. Probably.

The problem is that after a couple of jobs, I’ve never actually managed to unalive someone, and not for lack of trying. Apparently, a basic requirement of a hitman is being a good shot.

Despite my constant duck-ups—that my boss knows nothing about—I’m given another name, and I very nearly follow through. Only after obliterating this guy’s ear and his fervent pleading to spare him, I’ve sent him into hiding and collected the cash anyway.

But wanted people are hard to hide, and bad guys don’t like paying big money for loose ends.

Now that Van Gogh has shown his face again—sans ear—I’ve scammed my way into his security team, which is sort of ideal since I’m now highly wanted as well.

Unfortunately, we have some “trust issues” to “work through” from our meet-shoot, and with the gorgeous bastard’s brother missing, he refuses to lay low until they’re reunited.

I’m not sold on the plan, honestly, but this guy has me questioning my sexuality along with my career path, and I’m at the point where I’m determined to see a job through to the end.

Or die trying.

But hey, at least then I’d finally deliver a body.

Madden

My best friend is uptight, gorgeous, the greatest person I know … and I might be a smidge in love with him. Just a small amount. Barely worth the mention.

Which is a stupid choice on my part when the guy is straight.

Starting a landscaping company with him was the perfect mix of doing what I love and an excuse to spend time with him, only it hasn’t completely taken off yet and now he’s telling me he’s lonely.

Lonely.

Apparently having one friend in your life isn’t enough.

So I’m determined to help him find love. With someone other than me. Maybe if I can pull that off, it’ll mean my heart will finally get the message and move on.

Or finish breaking into a hundred pieces.

Same thing, right?

Penn

Being besties with an overenthusiastic, gold-hearted, nudist of a man is a challenge sometimes. Madden makes everything sunshine when he’s around.

The problem is that he hasn’t been around as much lately. We work together, sure, but he’s got his roommates and I have … no one. Just him. So I feel the distance acutely.

My one reassurance is that we have work tying us together, but when an old client calls with a proposition for us, it feels like our once solid friendship is unraveling fast.

He wants Madden to help him open a nudist resort, and if Madden’s doing that, he won’t be working with me.

I’m trying not to panic over the thought of losing him, which is a typical, common best friend reaction. Nothing out of the ordinary.

And neither is the way my body has been reacting to him lately.

Everything is totally, completely normal between us.

While there’s still an us at all.

It’s hard to imagine dating when I secretly share a bed with my best friend every night. When we can barely spend an hour apart. When he’ll kill anyone who tries to touch me.

We finally escaped the trailer park, but maybe we weren’t ready for freedom. My best friend Beck doesn’t know how to leave the gang he’s always known, even if it costs him his life. And I don’t know how to find my purpose and confidence as a trans man.

We’re too lost in our fears to see what’s right in front of us. But when I almost lose him, it only takes five words for us to fall: I heard about a game.
I run. He hunts me. And if he catches me… there are no limits in the dark.

Daylight is a different matter, full of the ghosts of everything we’ve lost. Until we stumble across someone who needs us, who forces us to take the broken pieces of our pasts and put them together into something strong. The courage it takes to become who we were all along.

Why is the one thing you can't have, always the thing you want most?

For years, my life - my very existence - has orbited that of my family. I have lived and breathed only for them. Become indifferent to my dreams. lost myself. But One thing one person could bring me back to me....

My brother's best friend.