Chapter: Epilogue (pt. 2) Unfortunately, I didn't get to spend much time with Alec between the wedding and dinner, since the wedding party had to take pictures. I was able to see him just long enough for him to give me his jacket, and a quick kiss, before he headed to the bar. I told him not to get too drunk until I got back, but who even knew with him. He went crazy for free alcohol… as did I. It was awkward taking so many pictures with David by my side. But, he and I were civil, and as promised, I was there for him during the hard times with his mother. She was currently getting treatment, and so far she seemed to be responding well. There haven’t been any new tumors, and most of the original ones were gone or shrinking. We definitely had high hopes for her, and his family seemed to he doing quite well all things considered. Alec was also surprisingly cool about my role in David's life; after I explained it all, he understood and supported me being there for him as a friend. Albeit a distant friend- but
Last Updated: 2024-01-04
Chapter: Epilogue (pt. 1) 6 months had passed since that night at my apartment. I still couldn't believe how fast the 6 months had gone by since Alec and I decided to officially be together. I'm not exaggerating when I say that this could have been the best 6 months of my life. For the first few months, Alec and I had a long distance relationship, and honestly, it wasn't always easy. I loved Alec, but he still knew how to push my buttons just as he always had, and I couldn't help but get under his skin sometimes too. The distance made this even more irritating since we were getting plenty of the banter and not enough of the physical connection.Sometimes, I would think that the distance was just too much, but then, he would show up at my apartment. He always had the timing perfect. It was like, when I was feeling like I needed him, he was always there. Maybe he felt the same way about me too in those moments; I liked to believe we were connected in that way. Occasionally, if he had to work, he would fly me o
Last Updated: 2024-01-04
Chapter: 68| Worth Fighting For Oh god, I freaked out, pushing against Alec's chest to move him further into the hallway... this was the worst timing ever. I followed him out, my hand still on his chest as I closed the door behind me. "Alec... what are you doing here?" I managed to ask. My heart was thudding so hard in my chest I was starting to worry about my health. It had been less than 2 weeks since I left Siesta Key, but damn... I missed him so much. He was so handsome, and as per usual, he smelled so good; so familiar. I just wanted to throw my arms around him and forget about our fight; forget about the fact that he walked away from me; and forget about the fact that David was down on one knee just on the other side of my door. But, the angry and confused look on Alec's face stopped me from doing what I wanted. "Well..." he said, "I guess it doesn't really matter why I'm here now." "Of course it matters!" I said, "Should I ask David to leave?" All I wanted in this moment was to have him tell me "yes." I
Last Updated: 2024-01-04
Chapter: 67| Mistakes As David sauntered into my place, I couldn't help but to be irritated by how easily he made himself comfortable. He shrugged off his jacket, took off his shoes, and headed right to the couch as if he was welcome here; as if he was still my boyfriend. The most irritating part, was how he patted an open palm on the couch cushion beside him, inviting me to sit down, as if it wasn't my own freaking couch!I took a deep breath to push back my irritation before wandering into the living room. Instead of sitting beside him though, I perched awkwardly on the arm of the couch on the way opposite side, plopping my fluffy, bunny-slipper, feet right onto the cushion. I crossed my hands over my chest as I waited for him to say something. There was an awkward moment of silence as we just stared at each other. Normally, I would have swooned at that look. The one he was giving me right now used to be one of my favorites. That was one of my favorite things about David. When he looked at me, he made m
Last Updated: 2024-01-04
Chapter: 66| Alec (pt. 2) Alec’s POV:I relayed my entire story, the way I had when I was with Jayna that night in her bed. If I was being honest- it was a lot easier to tell Jayna than it was for me to tell my story right now. Telling Ryan was brutal; he listened, but I could see the hurt on his face. He felt betrayed by our parents—his dad in particular. I never wanted to hurt Ryan- that’s why I had hid everything from him all these years. "Wow... for once I honestly don't know what to say," Ryan finally replied."I told you. This is why I didn't want to say anything. You work with your dad. The two of you have been close your entire life, and I don't want to get in the way of that,” I explained, leaning back in my chair as if a heavy weight had just been lifted from my shoulders. "Yeah... I'm not gonna lie, it hurts to realize that the man you've looked up to your entire life is nothing but a giant asshole. But... I'm also pissed as hell that you felt you couldn't tell me this before!" "I..." I tried to
Last Updated: 2024-01-03
Chapter: 65| Alec (pt. 1) Alec's POV:"Fucking idiots," I thought as I had to tell my co-worker that his microphone was muted for the 10th time today.In his defense, everything had been pissing me off lately. I had gotten home over a week ago and still, Jayna was on my mind constantly. It was irritating as hell. I couldn't stop thinking about her scent, the feel of her small body safe in my arms, and the crazy thoughts that came out of her mouth. I tried everything to move on, and I thought it would be easy, but it hasn't been. I was even having trouble with sex... and I never had trouble with sex. I had tried multiple times and with several women, but I just couldn't get turned on. Even some of my regular hook-ups just weren't doing it for me any more; not unless I pretended they were Jayna.And it pissed me off. I knew she was probably back with her ex...whatever the fuck his name was...Dean? Derek? Dipshit? I supposed it didn't really matter. What mattered was that he probably had his undeserving hands
Last Updated: 2024-01-03
Chapter: 67| Wake Up CallI fixed my gaze on Jaxon’s. "Alright. Out with it." He sighed, running a hand through his hair, taking a deep breath as if to keep his cool. "What the hell were you thinking picking a fight with that guy?" I blinked at him. He really thought this was my fault? "I didn't pick a fight with anyone. He was the one who started it." "You should have just let it go! He was a drunk idiot, and you let it bother you!" "Me!? You can't be serious," I seethed, "He started it when he grabbed my ass! In case you forgot, that wasn't the first time someone's touched me like that against my will, so yeah, it bothered me. So what if I called him on it?" "We're supposed to be keeping a low profile," Jax said, placing a palm on his head in a frustrated gesture. "If you would have just walked away, none of this would have happened. I wouldn't have needed to step in." I glared at him. He was getting on my last nerve. How dare he place all the blame on me? "You didn't need to step in. I had it handled
Last Updated: 2024-07-08
Chapter: 66| Fallout I was stunned looking at the man's unconscious body, but looking at Jax's expression, he was even more stunned than I was. He hadn't meant to do that. "We gotta go," he said, "Now." There was commotion starting around us, and I could see some of the man's buddies trying to push through the crowd to get to us. Jax was right... we needed to move. Jax grabbed me around the waist, guiding me quickly and somewhat forcefully to the front of the bar, walking out past the bouncers before they caught wind of what was happening inside. Unfortunately for us, Blake's friends were no longer on shift. On the bright side, as we exited, it appeared that we were in the clear, as one of the bouncers hit us with a very bored sounding, "have a good night." Once outside, Jax grabbed my hand, pulling me along with him at a sprint. "Mason, slow down! I can't go that fast in these heels!" I said, stumbling along after him. I was too drunk and too in shock for this, and these heels certainly weren't
Last Updated: 2024-07-05
Chapter: 65| New Years Eve (pt. 2) "Why did you leave Hannah and Blake?" He asked, sounding kind of annoyed. "I needed another drink," I said. "You should have waited for me," he growled. "Sorry. I guess I didn't think it would be an issue," I said, taking a few big swigs of my new drink. I felt I needed it after what was an oddly sobering experience. Once we got back to Hannah and Blake, Jax grabbed my hips, spinning me so that I was facing him. I wrapped an arm around his neck while the other one held my drink, and took another sip. I could feel the tension of his shoulder muscles, and his eyebrows were slightly furrowed; his chisled jawline clenched. "Are you mad at me?" I asked. He shook his head. "No, sorry. Just annoyed by that asshole at the bar." I leaned in, placing a gentle kiss at the corner of his full lips. "He doesn't matter. Let it go, please." He nodded, leaning forward and placing his lips on my straw, taking a sip of my vodka lemonade. I giggled as he grimaced. "That's gross," he smiled
Last Updated: 2024-06-22
Chapter: 64| New Years Eve (pt. 1) New Year's Eve has always been one of my favorite holidays. Mainly because it was one that I celebrated with my friends, not my family. The death of my mother and sister always loomed over me like a dark cloud, but I always knew they wouldn't want me to stop living either. And boy, did I plan on living tonight. Of course, I still missed Mel and my group of friends back at my old college, and I wondered briefly what they would be doing to celebrate. But, the wondering wasn't crippling me tonight. Tonight, I was surrounded by people who had become just as important to me as Mel was. Hannah was always so supportive and always knew how to make me smile, Blake always knew how to make sure everyone has a good time, and Jax? Well, I loved him. I wasn't sure when or if I was going to tell him, but I knew I loved him. I also wasn't sure if we would even be able to get in to the bar tonight, but once we arrived, I realized that Blake's basketball buddies worked here as bouncers, and the
Last Updated: 2024-06-17
Chapter: 63| The Perfect OutfitWe were not fast. 2 hours later, and Hannah and I still hadn't found an outfit. I was in the changing room, dealing with an exceptionally stubborn zipper when Jax texted me. Mason: 30 minutes in the dressing room? What are you guys doing? Sewing the dresses yourselves? Skyler: Is someone getting a little cranky? Finally, the zipper moved and and I shimmied out of the shiny, silver monstrosity. Only one more dress to try on. Mason: Correction, HANGRY Skyler: I'm almost done. I would be faster if you stopped texting me. I pulled the last dress off the hanger. I had high hopes for this one. It was a fitted, gold, mini dress that was covered in tiny little sequins. The best part was that it didn't even come with a zipper. I pulled the stretchy material over my head, giving myself a once-over in the mirror. Oh yeah... this was the one. My phone dinged again. Mason: Just pick something. I'm bored. I'm sure you look great in anything. I smiled. Last time I wore something even m
Last Updated: 2024-06-11
Chapter: 62| The Mall"Happy New Years Eve, bitch!!!!" Hannah shouted, whacking me with a pillow to wake me up. She was back much earlier than I had anticipated; I didn't even hear her enter the room I had been sleeping so hard. I glanced at my phone, noting it was only 8:30. "Hey," I yawned, "you're home awfully early." She smiled, "I know! That's because we have a lot to do today to prepare for tonight." I sat up in my bed. "Oh yeah? Like what?" "Like going to the mall to find the perfect New Year's outfit, getting our nails done, and then we need to take a very thorough shower! Then, we will get ready, drink alcohol, and go to the bars to ring in the new year!" "Sounds exhausting," I yawned again. "Sure does," she agreed, "but we're doing it. Now get up, and get dressed! I'm gonna run to the dining hall quick and grab us some breakfast." I chuckled. I generally didn't have her energy this early in the morning, but still, it was contagious. I eagerly got out of bed, quickly changing into a pair
Last Updated: 2024-06-11
EleDate
Kyla Adams is a workaholic. I mean, who wouldn't be when you're working your dream job? She is one of the many writers for a startup business in North Carolina called "Clicked," where the focus is writing about hot gossip, new trends, and out of the ordinary experiences. Think of this social media app as an online magazine, where the workers are gossip hungry millennials and Gen Z'ers all trying to top one another.
And the best part- Dakota Kramer; the hot young CEO at the top floor of the office building.
Kyla is the job. She thrives on gossip and is a phenomenal writer, but lately her articles have been dryer than her dating life. After Dakota threatens to fire her if she doesn't step out of her comfort zone, Kyla and her friends drunkenly email Dakota an exciting new article proposal titled "EleDATE."
What does the hell does this mean? Kyla must ride the elevator every morning, starting from floor 1 up to floor 50-the top floor- with a hand picked single guy from the office. The catch? She's blindfolded. She must rely on her instincts about the "bachelors" and the impressions they make during their limited time riding together- and they must remain anonymous.
With over 100 employees in the building, 50 floors, and 20 single men willing to participate, this will sure make for an intriguing article and a literal make or break career moment.
And let's face it... there's just something about elevators.
Read
Chapter: 18| The Creeps After the crazy weekend I had, I was actually ready to get back to work today. It was Monday, and the last week of phase 1 of my experiment. So far, I'd met a variety of men from the office, some of which really stood out to me, and others... not so much. But, overall I figured the article was coming along as good as to be expected. Yesterday, Ellie came over to help me work out the kinks for phase 2. Clearly, there were men I was going to eliminate - starting with freaking Alan. But once I got the men narrowed down from 20 to 10, I wasn't exactly sure how to proceed. Part of me felt like one more elevator ride just wasn't going to be enough time to make an informed decision to narrow it down to only 5 men. With this in mind, Ellie and I decided that it would be best if each man rode the elevator down with me as well on their date day, instead of just going up. It made sense in theory; week 1 = 1 ride; week 2 = 2 rides, up and down. After that, 5 more will be eliminated. With 5 men l
Last Updated: 2024-01-02
Chapter: 17| The Next Day Lydia was completely passed out before we even got her into the uber. Thankfully, Cole agreed to come back to my place to help me with her, while Rory and Ellie got their own ride back to Rory's place. Once at mine, Cole carried Lydia for me, placing her into my bed. I took her shoes off and slipped a sweatshirt on over her head, leaving her in her dress since I wasn't able to maneuver her that easily. I put a glass of water on the nightstand and placed a trash can by her face, ensuring she was laying on her stomach before I met up with Cole in the living room. "Did she wake up?" Cole asked as he settled onto the couch. I shook my head, biting at my lower lip. "No... I'm worried, Cole. What if she was drugged or something? I've never seen her like this before."He sighed, patting the couch beside him. I hurried over, not even bothering to change out of my own dress before settling in beside him. "I thought the same thing, so I was doing some research while you were getting her set
Last Updated: 2023-12-27
Chapter: 21| Sip (pt. 2) Before I knew what was even happening, I heard Lydia's unmistakable voice getting louder as she was saying something I couldn't quite hear to the douche of a man beside her. He was raising his volume too as he stared back at her, standing up off his stool so that he towered over her small frame. "Cole," I said, hopping down off my stool and already heading in their direction. It wasn't long before their little scuffle had people from all over the bar looking at them, and I was sure it was only a matter of time before Dakota noticed us. But, none of that mattered when I saw the man reach out, shoving Lydia so hard she would have fallen down if she hadn't crashed into me. I was almost knocked down with her, but was surprised when Rory appeared behind me, stabilizing us both. I felt Lydia shaking in my arms and I could tell she was sobbing. I was quick to drag her away from the scene, making our way to the bathroom. Part of me wanted to stay and fucking unleash my wrath on that ma
Last Updated: 2023-12-25
Chapter: 20| Sip (pt. 1) After a Friday night well spent, aka fluffy pajamas, ice cream, and binge watching Vampire Diaries, it was finally Saturday night! Even though I love being a home body, there was something about getting all dressed up and experiencing something new that always enticed me. Since this was a cocktail lounge, I pulled out my favorite black cocktail dress. It was plain, sleeveless, and fitted with a slit that ran tastefully up one side. I straightened my usually-wavy hair until it ran down my back in a silky smooth sheet of strawberry blonde. I felt like being a bit more dramatic tonight, so I took my time dusting my eyelids with a smoky blue and shimmery silver shadow, finishing off with a thick swoop of liquid eye liner on the top. To my surprise, my long lashes decided to cooperate with my mascara applicator tonight, and when all was said and done, I had to admit I looked freaking good. Right as I finished up, I heard a knock at my door and I knew my friends were arriving. My apartm
Last Updated: 2023-12-20
Chapter: 19| 5 to Go"Ugh..." I groaned and stretched out after turning off my alarm. Getting up the morning after being sick is always the most difficult thing ever. After I got home from work yesterday at literally 10:30 AM, I took 3 ibuprofen, put on my fuzziest pajamas, and slept until I woke up profusely sweating at 5:00 PM. That's right, my fever had broken. I took a shower which made me feel a little bit better, and then moved to my couch where I laid down for another couple hours until there was a knock at my door. I would have panicked had Cole not told me that he DoorDashed me some chicken noodle soup from my favorite Bistro. It was a sweet gesture. He was going to bring it himself but I didn't want to get him sick; and besides, I wasn't feeling up for company. After eating my soup, I fell asleep on my couch while watching Moana, and didn't wake up again until 9, at which point I took a shot of NyQuil, moved back into my bed, and slept uninterrupted until my alarm went off just now. I couldn
Last Updated: 2023-12-19
Chapter: 18| The Longest Week (pt. 2) It was hard to even focus on what Dakota wanted me to do, but by the expectant look on his face, I knew he probably wanted me to head home. I nodded, pushing myself up off the chair with an incredible amount of effort. My head pounded with the movement, and I squeezed my eyes shut, taking a deep breath. "What's wrong?" Dakota asked, placing a palm on my shoulder as if to steady me. "Just my headache. It was worse when I stood up," I fixed my eyes on his, trying to sound convincing. "I'm fine though. I just need to get my stuff from my desk and I'll leave."Dakota nodded, but when I began heading to the elevator he started walking with me. "You don't need to come with me," I continued, "I'm not going to fall over."His full lips tugged up at the corners as if he was hiding a smile. "I know. I'm going to walk you to your car anyway to ensure you actually go home." I sighed, but I didn't argue. He was a stubborn man. And also, he was my boss, so I really had no authority or reasoning
Last Updated: 2023-12-18
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