Deflection Stories

Elise Navarro has rules. Stay sharp. Don't be needy. Don't get attached. She's built a reputation on competence, control, and keeping even the most persistent people at arm's length. Feelings are unpredictable. Love is dangerous. And vulnerability? Not an option. Ash Santiago never meant to get caught in her orbit. But there's something about Elise-how she doesn't flinch in a crisis, how her sarcasm cuts deeper than most people's honesty, how her silences say more than her words ever could. She tells him not to fall. So, of course, he does. But when Elise leans in only to pull away again-when she whispers that she wants him close, but not too close-Ash finds himself suspended somewhere between patience and heartbreak. In a workplace full of ambition, secrets, and late-night loyalty, they'll both have to face the question they keep dancing around: What if choosing someone doesn't mean losing yourself? That's Not a No is a slow-burn contemporary romance about emotional scars, found family, inconvenient timing, and the kind of feelings that leave you asking questions that can't be answered with a simple yes-or no.

Greyson Maddox is the guy everyone knows. The cocky smile. The reckless charm. The sport bike that roars louder than the rumors trailing behind him. He parties too hard, flirts too easily, and lives like he's got nothing to lose. Because a year ago, he lost everything that mattered. Micah was more than his best friend - he was Grey's anchor, the one who kept him grounded when life spun too fast. But one night, one crash, and one scar down Grey's ribs changed all of that. Now all he's got is noise, speed, and distractions that can't outrun the guilt. Then Bella shows up. New girl. Naturally beautiful. Quiet, but sharp. She doesn't fall for his charm - doesn't even blink when he flashes that signature smirk. She sees something in him he's been trying to bury since the accident. And for the first time in a long time, Grey doesn't want to run. But falling for someone new means facing the past. And Grey's not sure he's ready to crash all over again.