My husband was in a terrible accident that required six months of physical therapy. While I stood by him, cheering him on, he was making plans to leave me. For his physical therapist.

He didn't break her all at once. He taught her how to shatter herself. To everyone watching, she has the life girls dream of : money, beauty, a powerful husband, and a marriage wrapped in perfection. But behind their locked doors, perfection is the punishment she can never escape. He tells her who to be. He tells her how to walk, how to breathe, how to think. Every mistake is a lesson. Every bruise is a reminder. Every betrayal is somehow her fault. And she believes him. Because after years of being molded, corrected, and rewritten, she no longer remembers who she was before he decided to "fix" her. She only knows the rules he carved into her bones. Don't speak too loudly. Don't ask questions. Don't look at him when he's angry. Don't look away when he wants your attention. And above all Don't ever forget that love is earned, not given. Her sister whispers that she's losing herself. Her friends say they're worried. Her subconscious screams that something is wrong. But she silences all of them. Because she is so close so close to becoming the perfect wife, he swears she could be if she tries a little harder. And if she can be perfect... Maybe he'll finally love her. Or maybe perfection is the very thing that will destroy her. *This story depicts domestic and emotional abuse. These scenes are fictional and not meant to glorify or romanticize abuse. If you are in a harmful or unsafe situation, please reach out for help: 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) thehotline.org You deserve safety.

Summers in Arizona can be brutal. So can finding love in a small town when you aren't straight. At twenty-years-old, Steven has just about given up on the prospect. Instead, he saves his money, dreaming of the day when he can ditch his small town life for something more exciting. Preferably somewhere with guys who would actually be interested in dating him. But everything changes when a handsome new guy arrives in town and starts flirting with Steven. Being woefully inexperienced, Steven is excited-and equally nervous-by the opportunity to finally check some firsts off his list. Perhaps the one first he wasn't counting on will end up being the best of all.

Oscar is devastated when his boyfriend Andrew, is killed in action during a counterattack while they were serving in Iraq. When he takes a six months leave from his life as an active duty SEAL, Oscar hopes to do one thing: getting a grip on his crumbling life. However, being infatuated with a convicted felon was at the bottom of his to-do-list. Hell, not even to mention falling for him. Life gets ridiculously confusing when "nothing serious" turns into something much more complicated. ©2021 Damien Silver Inspired by 18 March 1990 Gardener paintings heist

COMPLETED [boyxboy] Wren Ridley is always two steps ahead of everyone, or so he thinks. His life seems out of his control when he starts having feelings for someone he knows he shouldn't, someone who he's better off avoiding at all costs. Landon Reilly is still trying to figure himself out. After coming out to his parents and nearly getting sent away to conversion therapy, he finds it hard to get close to anyone. He's ice cold, closing himself off to anyone. But when the two constantly bump into each other on their daily runs, avoiding each other becomes nearly impossible and the two are drawn to each other more than either will admit. "On Thin Ice" spinoff. Can be read as a standalone, but contains "On Thin Ice" spoilers and will make more sense if you read that first.

Jordan must maintain her perfect, good-girl façade no matter what since her ex-husband destroyed her life, or risk losing even more. But when trouble walks through the door in the form of Cole Danielson - tall, dangerously hot, and in town for a few days only, Jordan can't resist a one-night stand. Cole dreads this return to the town of his childhood, and he has no intention of staying longer than necessary. But when a gorgeous brunette with irresistible curves drags him into the restroom, he knows two things for sure - he will give her more than a hasty encounter, and she needs a hero. Years ago, in school, Jordan knew Cole was as broken and lonely as she was, and she's never forgotten her first crush on the bad-boy who lit out of town as soon as he was old enough. Since then, she's learned to trust no one, and her only hope to right the wrongs in her life is to keep her head down. In this town, Cole's previous crimes could come back to haunt him. But he'll be damned if leaves Jordan to face her demons on her own. No matter the risk. Trigger Warnings: violence and referenced physical abuse (in the past) against women

A shy art student finds herself drawn to an older guy she encounters in a cafe. Something sparks between them, but everything is not black and white, and the baggage they carry might just be too much. ***** Rowan Easton has finally found the courage to leave an abusive relationship, and as it turns out, her ex has no problems moving on to the next conquest. Deciding that she too needs to leave the past behind her, she throws herself into getting her degree and has no intentions of getting involved with anyone else in the near future. James Wilson returns from serving overseas only to find that his wife has been cheating on him. Heartbroken, he divorces the fair-haired Ada and moves away in the hopes of coping with the aftereffects of war and a broken marriage. The two meet under these unfortunate circumstances when James moves to the college town of Bozeman, Montana. Despite the recent events in his life, James finds himself fascinated by the girl who sits slumped in the cafe with coffee and a sketchbook. Will they ever overcome the walls placed by their past relationships? ••••• Warning: This story is complete and is registered in its entirety with the U.S. Copyright Office. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. This is the only place this story is posted.

All the Feels Reading Event: Enter the spiral If "just one more chapter" sounds familiar... this is for you. From February 23-March 1, we're rewarding 15,000 readers with Coins simply for spiraling into romance. 📖 Read the stories from the All the Feels Reading List 📖 100 minutes → 100 Coins 💰 200 minutes → 200 Coins Whether you're here for butterflies, tension, drama, or full-blown obsession-the more you read, the better your chances. Go ahead. One more chapter won't hurt. Richard and Carlton are childhood friends who haven't seen each other in five years after that embarrassing incident. Things are about to get awkward now that Carlton is the butler of the Preston family and Richard is the sole heir of the Preston-Astor Group, one the largest conglomerate in the world. --Completed 02/27/25 WATTYS SHORTLIST Ranking Milestones #1 boyxboy #1 bxb #1 lgtbt #1 gay

When you experience the worst thing you could ever imagine, how do you react? - "The water looked so tempting under me as I stood there in the dark. The splashing sounds as the waves hit the stone calmed me down and I took a deep breath. Yes. This was it. I closed my eyes and took one step closer, feeling the curb under the soles of my shoes when I stopped again. Then my heart started pounding when I heard the sound of an angry engine behind me, a screech and a crash. I turned around, gasping, ready to pick my phone up from the ground to call for help- but what met me was a pair of soul-searching golden eyes. In all his twisted glory, he stood in front of me, his precious motorcycle's engine still going as it laid on the ground behind him. His hand reached out, as if asking me to wait, but neither of us said anything. We just stood there." - Olivia was a happy, cheerful girl whose life turned upside down one evening, over a phone call. Her mind turned dark, her thoughts became intrusive, and she became... morose. One night everything seemed to fall apart and she found herself at the river banks when an old friend found her and refused to let her go. That night kickstarted something in her that made her want to change... for him. Helix was a misunderstood man surrounded by dark rumors. People feared him. Everyone stayed away from him.. Except Olivia. Olivia's life is in danger; can she fight her way out of the black hole before it's too late? ⚠️ Mature audiences only TW: includes adult themes such as suicide, sexuality, alcohol and other mental health-related issues - viewer discretion is advised