Small-town Stories

Kennedy Mitchell has spent years secretly crushing on her best friend's older brother, Cade Foster. But after overhearing Cade tell his friends she's "not his type," Kennedy's heart shatters. To Cade, she's always been one of the guys-the tomboy who prefers basketball courts over shopping malls and hoodies over dresses. Determined to move on, Kennedy spends the summer finding confidence she never knew she had with the help of her older sister. But when a makeover turns heads and a new guy starts showing interest, Cade suddenly can't stop noticing the girl who's been right in front of him all along. The problem? Kennedy isn't sure she wants him anymore. Maybe being "not his type" was the best thing that ever happened to her.

WATTPAD BOOKS EDITION. There are some friends you never forget. It's the summer of 1955. For Ethan Harper, a biracial kid raised mostly by his white father, race has always been a distant conversation. When he's sent to spend the summer with his aunt and uncle in small-town Alabama, his blackness is suddenly front and center, and no one is shy about making it known he's not welcome there. Enter Juniper Jones. The town's resident oddball and free spirit, she's everything the townspeople aren't-open, kind, and accepting. Armed with two bikes and an unlimited supply of root beer floats, Ethan and Juniper set out to find their place in a town that's bent on rejecting them. As Ethan is confronted for the first time by what it means to be black in America, Juniper tries to help him see the beauty in even the ugliest reality, and that even the darkest days can give rise to an invincible summer . . .

Kelly just wants her business to succeed, and getting involved with a bodyguard is not part of her plan - but he is the only one who can keep her safe... ***** Kelly Harris is determined to make her antiques business a success. She won't let Tanner, a bodyguard who likes first edition poetry books, interfere with her life. But winning a mystery box at an auction changes everything. With Tanner working alongside her, they decipher the code in a forgotten journal, uncovering a young girl's journey to freedom and a powerful family's secret. Working for a high-profile security company, Tanner has seen the worst that humanity can do. He doesn't believe in love. But when disaster strikes, he finds himself doing everything he can to keep Kelly safe - even if that means letting her into the most vulnerable part of who he is. Leeanna Morgan is a USA Today Bestselling Author.

WATTPAD ORIGINAL EDITION When a summer of fun turns upside down, Olivia must figure out whether her paranoid imagination is playing tricks on her or if she's being followed - and by who. ***** It's been years since Olivia nearly drowned in Caldwell Beach, and after moving away, she's back for the summer to reconnect with old friends. However, not everything-or everyone-is the same. Her childhood best friend, Miles, is still sweet and carefree, but his older brother West is not. Disowned and working at the local garage, he's distanced himself from everyone, until Olivia accidentally uncovers the reason why. But as the two grow closer, strange things begin happening to Olivia. She can't stop seeing shadows and hearing voices, but as she slips into a downward spiral of obsessiveness and paranoia, she must fight to uncover the truth behind who is after her, and why. [[word count: 60,000-70,000 words]]

WATTPAD BOOKS EDITION. The past always resurfaces . . . Five years after almost drowning, Olivia Cathart returns home to Caldwell Beach determined to face her fears and take some risks-not just by swimming but by opening her heart. Hoping to rekindle her friendships, she's excited about a carefree summer with her best friends Keely and Miles. But life in the sleepy town has changed, and no one and nothing is as it seems. When a series of startling crimes threaten Olivia's fragile state, she is plunged into a terrifying game of cat and mouse. Her only solace from the chaos is West, Miles's disowned and ruggedly handsome brother, but even he can't answer the question on everyone's minds-is Olivia really in danger or is it simply all in her head?

When Hayley falls for a bodyguard whose secret is more dangerous than her own, she must decide how much she is willing to risk for love. ***** Tank has spent his life protecting people. He works for one of the most successful security companies in the world, makes more money than most people see in a lifetime, and has a past that no one can ever know about. Hayley Elliott will do anything to keep her mom safe. Her sister has found a cure for Alzheimer's and their mom is living proof that the supplement works - but hiding from the people looking for the supplement's formula is impossible. When the threat to their lives becomes deadly, she has no option but to trust a man who's living with a secret more dangerous than her own. With more at stake than their own lives, Tank and Hayley have to decide what is more important: protecting the past or risking everything for love. Leeanna Morgan is a USA Today Bestselling Author.

WATTPAD BOOKS EDITION Griffin Tomlin is dead. And Clara's sister killed him . . . Four months after the murder, the entire town of Shiloh is still in shock. For Clara Porterfield, the normal world has crumbled around her in a million chaotic pieces. Now Clara lives in a new reality, where her sister awaits trial for murder, her mother obsessively digs in a dead, frozen garden, and her father lives and breathes denial. At school, Clara is haunted by her classmates' morbid curiosity-and all of the unspoken questions they won't ask. But none of them knows what she knows . . . Now Clara's sister wants something from her-the one thing in all of this that Clara isn't ready to face: the truth about what really happened that night. Because this story didn't die with Griffin Tomlin. There's another story that needs to be told. And sometimes, the lies we're told are nowhere near as deadly as the lies we tell ourselves . . .

WATTPAD ORIGINAL EDITION In 1955, mixed-race Ethan Harper leaves his progressive hometown for a summer in Alabama where he's not welcome, except by resident free spirit, Juniper Jones. ***** After getting himself into a bout of trouble, 16-year-old Ethan Harper's parents send him to Ellison, Alabama, to live with his aunt and uncle for the summer. But the year is 1955, and Alabama is a far cry from his beloved home of Arcadia, Washington. As much as it's hotter in temperature, it's colder in every other way, and Ethan learns the hard way that people see his mere existence as a threat. Amidst all the mayhem, a fiery, free-spirited, oddball walks into Ethan's life. Her name is Juniper Jones. She is the first person in Ellison who seems unfazed by their racial differences, and she promises to give Ethan a summer he will always remember, filled with endless adventure and discovery. With Juniper, Ethan can breathe, he can be, despite the incessant attention and bullying their newly formed friendship attracts. Can the two survive the summer, run in the light and block out the noise of the outside world? [Published version comes out June 16, 2020 with Wattpad Books!] [[word count: 70,000-80,000 words]]

They say you can't go home again. But what if home is the man you can't forget? Luca Romano left his small town and its narrow-minded whispers behind, trading them for a life of vibrant freedom as an openly gay photographer. But when a family emergency forces him back, he's thrust into a world of memories he'd rather forget. The last person he wants to see is Daniel his former best friend, his first love, and a secret chapter of his past he's desperately tried to burn. Daniel has painstakingly built the perfect, "normal" life: a respectable job, a house with a white picket fence, and a kind, loving fiancée. He's locked away his desires, his truth, and the boy he once was, convincing himself it was all just a phase. He's safe. He's straight. Or so he thought until one glimpse of Luca shatters the illusion completely. Ranking: 🏆 1. #Closet (29/09/2025) 🏆 1. #romance-friendship (13/10/25) 🏆 1. #Lgbtlove (17/10/25) 🏆 1. #SmallTowns (21/10/2025) 🏆 1. #Original (02/11/2025) 🏆 1. #Lgbt-Themed (22/01/2026) 🏆 1. #Reality (14/02/2026) 🏆 1. #Romance-friendship (10/03/2026) 🏆 1. #Lgbtlove (15/03/2026) 🏆 1. #Smalltown (21/03/2026) 🏆 1. #manxmam (11/07/2026) 🏆 1. #Original (24/08/2026) 🏆 1. #Reality (09/09/2026)

── .✦ ˙ 24 year old Jeon Jungkook, an alpha and the eldest son of a prominent family, felt suffocated by the weight of his parents' expectations. He was expected to take over the family business, marry a suitable partner, and carry on the family legacy. But Jungkook had other plans. He longed for freedom, autonomy, and the chance to forge his own path. Park Jimin, 24 years old omega also an eldest son, felt trapped by the societal expectations placed upon him. He exhibited the urge to stop the traditional strict rules of omega's in their society. His parents had always assumed that he would marry a good man, settle down, have kids and become a dutiful partner and a mother. But Jimin yearned for more. He wanted to explore the world, pursue his passions, and discover his true purpose. One fateful night, Jungkook and Jimin both decided to take a stand against their respective expectations. They packed their bags and set out on a journey of self-discovery. As fate would have it, their paths crossed. Both eldest son's of a family full of beyond expectations-where will this journey take them? 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐒 : Top Jungkook | Bottom Jimin | gay romance | morden omegaverse | alpha Jungkook | omega Jimin | romance | running away | chasing freedom | action | violence | eldest son trauma | trauma bonding | shared trauma | character development | happy ending © stargirlpjm | 2026 ✓

Between shared chai, inside jokes, first relationships, and the unspoken pressure to become "something," they learn that growing up isn't a moment-it's a slow, uncomfortable journey. One where everyone feels a little out of control. _ A coming-of-age story about youth, bonds that shape us, and the space between who we are and who we're expected to be.

Raven Creek is a small town in the middle of nowhere. It's also the place Maeve Calloway ran from. For years, she convinced herself that leaving was enough. That distance could silence the memories and bury the questions she was too afraid to ask. But after graduation, Maeve makes an oath to return to the place that haunts her most. This time, she's looking for answers. The problem is, she doesn't know what the question is yet. And in Raven Creek, some secrets have a way of finding you first.

At twenty-five, Lexi Carter's perfectly calibrated five-year plan is unraveling. Between her grueling 45-minute daily commute to the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law and her exhausting hours as a paralegal at Harrison & Croft, LLC, she feels like she's barely keeping her head above water. Partner track feels miles away, her love life is a string of failed dates with men who can't handle her schedule, and the picture-perfect future she mapped out is slipping through her fingers. Enter Devon-her steady anchor, best friend, and the one man who has always been there to catch her when she breaks. Ever since she literally crashed into him on their first day of college, covering his t-shirt in coffee, Devon has quietly loved her. He's built his life in the cozy coastal town of Heron's Cove as the head football coach at Harbor Crest Academy, but his heart has remained firmly anchored to Lexi. Through late-night traffic jams, tearful breakdown calls, and takeout delivered straight to her porch, Devon is the silent harbor in her endless storm. One night, drowning in stress and a little too much wine, Lexi proposes a frantic backup plan: If they're both still single at thirty, they'll have a baby together. Devon agrees to the pact without hesitation, keeping his true feelings hidden behind the playful agreement. But as Lexi slowly stops obsessing over her rigid timeline and finally looks up from her law books, she begins to see the man who has been standing right in front of her all along. Now, they both have to answer the question: Is their five-year plan truly falling apart, or was the best part of her future waiting in Heron's Cove the entire time?

Birds flew overhead dressed in white silk, cascading high above the tarmac like waves cresting on the shore of a vast marbled ocean. It was barely a tarmac, really. A slight strip of concrete, rolled along an eggshell-white beach. The sky was more grey than blue, but not in a morose way. In the way that conjures images of yourself, curled up in an anonymous bay window with an old book. Rain tapping the window. A cup of tea, even though you never drink tea.

"You want this just as much as I do," he murmured against my ear, pinning me firmly to the cold wall. "Just admit it." ​Every fiber of my being screamed at me to run, to push him away, yet a dangerous, forbidden heat flared deep inside me. ​"No," I whispered, my heart hammering wildly against my ribs as his lips brushed mine. It took everything in me not to give in. ​A dark, knowing smile touched his mouth. "You're lying." ​Raised as a pastor's daughter, Marie knows the rules by heart. After moving to America, she thought she had found safety in Noah, a sweet, faith-guided relationship that honors everything she was taught. ​Enter Tyler. ​Dangerous, reckless, and entirely off-limits, Tyler lives in a dark world of violence and shadows. Yet, he is magnetic, confident, and he has set his sights entirely on her. As the lines between right and wrong begin to blur, Marie finds herself drawn deeper into his chaos, risking everything she thought she believed in for a boy who could destroy her.

Stella Kidd didn't plan to stay. A temporary escape from Chicago leads her to a quiet lakeside village, where she inherits her aunt's old house-half-broken, full of memories, and more complicated than she expected. Everyone points her to one person for help: Kelly Severide. He keeps to himself. Fixes things without talking much. Carries a past the village hasn't forgotten. What starts as repairs turns into something slower, quieter-built between shared silences, unfinished truths, and a fire that never really left him. As Stella begins to uncover the story behind that night, she realizes some things don't need to be fixed alone. But when reality pulls them apart, they'll have to decide: Is this just a place they passed through... or something worth choosing? Fanfiction. I do not own Chicago Fire or its characters.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐚 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐛𝐨𝐲 𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬. At eighteen, Macie leaves the quiet roads of Georgia for New York, determined to start over and leave the past behind. But college brings her face-to-face with the memories surrounding her aunt's death at a college party. Archer, an English boy carrying grief, addiction, and wounds of his own. Neither expects to find comfort in the other, but as Macie learns to trust and Archer begins confronting the life he's been running from, their connection becomes something neither can ignore. Two broken pasts. One new beginning. And sometimes, healing begins with finding someone who understands.

In the misty hill town of Mugilur, five sisters build a life around love, loyalty, secrets, and the people who become family. At the heart of it is Aarya, a guarded doctor, and Sakkarai, a quiet cop whose love is shown through actions more than words. Across heartbreak, healing, family bonds, and slow-burn romance, Hilltop Hearts follows the many ways guarded hearts learn to trust, stay, and call someone home.

"Maybe the hardest part of falling in love isn't finding the right person. Maybe it's learning to see them exactly as they are." Chloe Reed has always been good at falling in love. The only problem? She's never been very good at knowing who she's actually falling for. She takes small gestures and turns them into meaning-a smile becomes affection, a conversation becomes a connection, and a kind stranger quickly becomes the exact person she imagines them to be. For seven months, Chloe thought she knew Thomas Miller. She thought he was kind, loyal, and completely different from everyone else. Then, he proved her wrong. Now, after their relationship falls apart, Chloe is left wondering whether she ever really knew Thomas at all, or if she had simply fallen in love with a version of him she created in her head. And then there's Austin Prant. At sixteen, he is quiet, brilliant, a football player with no interest in becoming a star, and the absolute last person Chloe expects to notice her. Especially because Austin has been noticing her for much longer than she realizes. But this time, Chloe doesn't want to fall in love with an idea; she wants to know the person first. Because maybe the hardest part of falling in love isn't finding the right person. Maybe it's learning to see them exactly as they are-not the version you imagined, but the one that's real.

A teenage girl moves to Appalachia and discovers that the local cryptids aren't monsters-they're people who have been hiding from humanity for generations. Before long, she finds herself falling in love with three of them and accidentally creating an entire community where humans and cryptids can actually live together. Along the way, she navigates first relationships, discovering new things about herself, the cryptids' world, and realizing what it means to love more than one person at once.