Audrey Kepler wants to breathe, to run, to live. It should be a given, after all, a gift everyone receives at birth. The day she gets on the bus is the day she finally admits to herself that being alive and living are two separate things. And Audrey wants to live. When she meets Eli Davis, a mysterious, quiet, and timid boy, she assumes that they are opposites. But, they are more similar than she could have ever imagined. Eli wants to live, he thinks. He at least wants to taste what it's like before he decides. She was the sun; warm, bright, radiant, and full of the purest light. He was the stars; distant and scarce, yet fascinating and effervescent if you took the time to look closely enough. They seem so different at first glance, the sun and the stars, but they are just alike.

Life consisted of men and lace Then Grayson took Ophelia home Life began to consist of wealth and S U I T S *Sequel to L A C E* ®All Rights Reserved to ARM179 Best Ranking: #152 in Short Story 19/1/16

I stood with my back to her, shielding her, and my murderous eyes stared down at the poor excuse of a man, promising unimaginable pain if he dared to move or even flinch. The enormity of control it took me to suppress the impulse to eradicate the piece of scum, who dared to even think about laying a hand on a woman, was inconceivable. My whole body was trembling with rage. The guy was intimidated by the fury in my eyes and stumbled back to his intoxicated friends who were too dazed to understand the situation. I was disappointed and relieved at the same time that the chaos didn't end in a fist fight. When I turned around to console her, she was gone. And as I looked around, I saw her back just leaving the bar through the entrance. I hurried out to follow her. She walked ahead of me aimlessly and disoriented like a wounded animal that had just escaped the claws of death. My heart ached for her. I found a kindred soul in her. She evidently had been wounded in the past. Just like me. But in an even worse way than I had been hurt, and it angered me, that someone had dared to harm her. *** Eden Marie Simmons is still recovering after escaping an abusive relationship when she meets Keane, the broody and enigmatic neighbor who is shrouded in mystery. Both are still being haunted by their past and are not ready for a new commitment, but when fate repeatedly puts them in each other's paths, they can't deny their attraction for each other. Life challenges them both with secrets, lies, and broken trusts, and confronts them with their pasts. They both must learn to be brave enough to love again. *** Story is previously called "Paradise Lies"