Novels by Lexia

HANNAH - 5 YEARS LATER"Are you... crying?"Sofia avoids my stare. Her head angles down towards the stage directlybelow us, to the ballerina twirling in circles on her toes in the hands of her partner. Wearing a white tutu, her brows droop downwards in an expression of pure drama and struggle."No." More sniffles."Oh my god... You are." After shooting me a stern look and retrieving a fresh handkerchief from her purse, she returns to craning over the side of the gold box railing. "And to think, only yesterday, you didn't want to come. Said it'd be too boring."She ignores me, her eyes widening when fog floats from the corners of the stage, the intense music growing ever louder.I don't blame her. I was skeptical about attending my first ballet show, too. But now I understand and appreciate its beauty, in a similar way when Damien plays the piano for me when we're alone. I can recognize the same thrill and excitement in his features as the dancers below.Tonight's performance of Swan

HANNAH"ISN'T it so much better when I plan our weekend getaways?"My lips thin, overlooking the ocean from the balcony of our villa."You've asked that every day we've been here, Damien."His chuckle is low in my ear as he wraps his arms around me, raisingmy temperature even higher than the private hot tub we're in. Our view is impeccable, along with the other villas that stand proudly in the water, tracing along the island's coastal line.Who knew houses come on stilts?We've been in Bora Bora for over a week, and I've enjoyed every second. At first, he told me we were going for a weekend vacation, just us two, and loaded up the jet with a bag I didn't pack. He then ignored all my questions about where we're headed.My guesses were Florida and Mexico. But no. I realized I was dead wrong after our flight took over eighteen hours. And then I made the even bigger realization that Damien... Damien was taking a real vacation. Not a weekend, but nearly two weeks off.I smirk.He's come s

THESE WALLS NEVER BUILT A HOME.They built a cage.My steps across my family's estate’s hallways are slow, my eyes wandering to key destinations of my childhood that would always spark awful memories.Because, when I normally pass by the archway that leads to the kitchen, I wouldn't see it as the beautiful architecture that it is. I would see my mother's last act of rebellion, struggling against my father's hold on her, before she received the final blow that turned her into the mindless aristocrat she is now. All the genuine joy expressed through her love of dance—gone.And when I'd near my father's study, I would hear Sterling's small cries as he banged against the door that always proved to be permanently closed. Often, it was me he'd hear inside, not getting much better treatment, until some maid would sweep him off his feet to carry him back to his room.But on this day, I don't see the house the same way. Right now, it seems fragile to me. Like glass.My steps quicken, with one

HANNAH SITS in a simmering silence that would intimidate anyone. Makeup artists blot fuzzy brushes to her face. A man behind her clamps a strand of her hair between an iron. And another tapes a wire underneath the strap of her blouse. Sitting on a black swivel chair, the bottoms of herflayed pantsuit reach the ends of her thin stilettos.She hasn't said a single word since entering backstage over an hour ago,and I know she must be planning something, not that she's going to share anything with me. She distinctly left that part out last night when she blew up my entire world to splinters, then informed me to go about our presentation as normal.Do you trust me? she had asked.And I didn't hesitate then, and I won't now, even before dozens of live- recording cameras and thousands in the audience.Mysterious schemes rage behind her eyes like dark tides of the sea, hinting at the rarely seen danger inside the woman before me, making me question who it really is I'm in love with... It's

I WISH I could go back to the girl I was a month ago, who was only trying to save her family from bankruptcy.Not from their murder.Sitting on the floor of my bedroom, I rest my back against the side of my bed as light streams underneath my closed door. I twist the engagement ring around my finger, embracing the pointless warmth it gives me.Damien and I can't be. But I still put it on the instant I got back, allowing myself to pretend for a while longer that the world believes we're newly engaged and we're unveiling the most anticipated microchip of the twenty-first century.But that can never happen. Tomorrow, Damien will be alone on the stage, his father watching with satisfied eyes as he tells the audience it's Bass Mobile who wins the prize for an entire year. Their stocks will skyrocket, their phones soon reigning supreme, and its users will never know the danger they slip into their pockets.My phone rings on the floor next to me, shining a familiar face I’ve grown to love on

MY BIOLOGICAL FATHER doesn't want to be found.One quick search of Victor Strauss online gave me all the information Ineeded, including his company and personal phone number. I've called many times—late last night, early this morning and an hour ago—stating who I was and practically begging him to talk to me.Which felt wrong in and of itself, because why should I have to be the one to beg? Was his reaction at the charity event all an act? He certainly recognized me and tried to chase me down before Damien got to me first.The only answer I received was as a cryptic envelope slipped underneath our door ten minutes ago. Inside, black ink marked a white slip of paper.The Crimson Lotus9:00Lifting my head to the Vietnamese restaurant glowing neon red againstthe rainy night sky, I cross the street, studying those inside. But I'm unable to see anyone. The windows are quite dark, which wouldn't bother me so much if this wasn't such a sketchy part of the city.Upon my entrance, a bell ab

Ten Months Later“Mrs. Graham,” I wrap my arms around my wife—as of twenty minutesago—and press a kiss to her neck.She turns around and rubs her hands up my chest before she reaches upon her toes to kiss me. “Mr. Graham.” She scrunches her nose. “You know? I think I’m just going to call you husband instead. Mr. Graham makes me feel like I’m thirteen again.” She giggles.“I don’t care what you call me as long as you’ve got this ring on your finger.” I rub the wedding band I’d just slid on her finger that joined the four-carat oval-cut engagement ring. We’d snuck off to the bridal suite for a moment before we have to join everyone at the reception and I am hoping that I can entice her to let me see what’s under her dress again. “You look so beautiful,” I tell her as I help her take her veil off. “I am the luckiest man in the world.” I cup her face and press my lips to hers.“Theo...we really can’t.” She giggles. “It’s bad enough we started the ceremony twenty minutes late because som

That night, the three of us and Raegan and Wes are at Theo’s house for dinner when Lucas speaks up. “So, how’d Camille and Shawn take it?” Lucas says as he takes a bite of the steak Theo had prepared.Theo and I exchange a glance. “Well...”Lucas’ eyes widen. “Holy shit, they don’t know?” “My mom does!” I say and Lucas’ mouth drops open.“Oh, shiiiiit. Please. You both owe me. Just let me be there when you tell Shawn.” He puts his hands together like he’s praying.Raegan giggles and shoots me a look. “You do kind of owe him.” “You’re absolutely not helping,” Theo interjects as he glares at her. “I’ve helped a lot, thank you very much,” she says with a snap of herfingers. “Besides, this is not why we’re here. We’re here to talk about wedding things.” She points back and forth between her and Wes. “This is the whole reason you’re home,” she says to Lucas as she smacks his arm. “Tuxedos. Tomorrow. All three of you. Ten a.m.”“Yes, I know,” Theo says like he’s heard this a hundred times

A few days later, I’m at the café at the crack of dawn to help my momwhen Lucas walks in and my mouth drops open. He casually waves and I immediately run around the counter. I’m hoping that his being here means he’s forgiven me or at the very least wants to talk, and that’s something.“Lucas.” I stop myself before I hug him in case he isn’t ready for that yet.“Hey, Ave.”“You look good.” I nod at him because he does. I haven’t seen him in almost three weeks and he looks like he’s lost a bit of weight but somehow also gained some muscle. He’s typically clean-shaven but he’s got more of a beard coming in and it’s startling how much more he looks like Theo now.“Been at the gym and running.” I nod. “I heard you moved.”“I did. You should come by and see it.” I hate how awkward things are between us when they’ve never been this way. Is this the new normal between us? “You want some coffee or breakfast?”“Sure.” He smiles. “Whatever. You know I like everything.” I move around the counter

After a very long forty-five minutes—trying to wrangle two intoxicated girls alone is no easy feat—I’m back at my house with Avery. As soon as we’re in my room, she’s already pulling off her clothes.“Avery,” I tell her just as she pulls her dress over her head. “Do you want to shower with me?”“I think...maybe we shouldn’t...”“Oh,” she scoffs, “we definitely should.”“I just don’t want things to get more complicated between us. I mean things are still unsettled with Lucas and—” I shake my head. “This puts us right back where we were two weeks ago. Sneaking around.”She stomps her foot. “You came to get me!” “Because you are drunk.” “And? This is not new! I know how to get myself home when I’ve been drinking, Theo. You wanted to fuck me and now you’re having second thoughts while I’m naked in your bedroom? You sure picked a fine time to stop thinking with your dick!” She unsnaps her bra and as her perfect tits spring free, I instantly crave the taste of them.“Avery.” I groan. “You’

The bar is so loud and it’s been a while since I’ve been in a place like this.It’s also huge and I have no idea where they are. I’ve watched that video she sent me at least ten times on my way over here and each time I get angrier for torturing myself by watching it. I should just delete it.Don’t you fucking dare.The way she gasps my name the second she goes over the edge and shoots the sexiest wink to the camera, almost has me coming in my pants every time. There are two large bars both positioned in the center of the room and I walk around one and then the other before I see her in that sexy gold dress. I get closer and fuck she looks gorgeous, like she’s been out in the sun since the week I’ve seen her making her even more bronzed than usual. Her lips are painted red and quirked up in a smile towards some fucking asshole standing next to her.Fuck that.He leans down to whisper something in her ear, his hand resting at the small of her back, and I instantly feel the aggression r

I should have known Rory coming down to help me move wouldn’t come without a hundred questions and tequila shots.“I still can’t believe I didn’t realize it. Like...it was a shame that nobody had hooked up with Daddy Graham after all this time. What is the actual point of having a friend with a hot dad?” She sucks the lime into her mouth. We’d spent the last two days moving and had actually put a decent dent in my apartment. I have a couch, my bed is set up, and I have WiFi so everything else can wait as far as I’m concerned. My mom left about an hour ago after neurotically organizing my kitchen, and we’d opened a bottle of wine and then switched to tequila right after.I’m lying flat on my back on my couch with my eyes closed, with an eye mask resting beneath my eyes in hopes it will get rid of the dark circles brought on by staying up all night packing and crying all week. “How pissed is he?”Rory, who’s sitting on the floor in front of me, takes a bite of the sausage pizza we order