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ONE STEP CLOSER

Author: RomanticAdrienne
last update Last Updated: 2024-10-29 19:42:56

KIRA

And here came the day we entered the competition. There were a lot of locals and we could barely get through them. My family had already taken their places near the trail, waiting for this to begin. Gabriel held my hand until we enrolled.

“Are you nervous, dear Kira?” he asked me just as we made it out of the crowd. The first test was actually the ribbon test.

“Not really. But we will make a fool out of ourselves within so many people”

“Nonsense! We are going to win this!” he showed his determination, which, I had to admit, was brave.

I didn’t get to say any more words as we were already at the start line, hugged and tied with the famous red ribbon.

The warmth of his body was running through my thick coat. I could no longer control myself. His minty breath filled my nostrils and his musky scent awakened all my senses. My eyes gazed into his eyes, hypnotized by the mesmerizing rainbow surrounding them.

He looked me right in the eye, our eyes locked for what felt like an eternit
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  • Miracle on Hollow Peak   HE SHOULD'T BE HERE

    KIRAIt was so different from last time. Gabriel was more tender, more attentive. I let myself get carried away by his kisses and touches. I lived every moment to the fullest. When his hand traced the line of my cleavage, thousands of shivers flooded my body. His kiss became more fierce, and I felt it with every breath. I hadn’t had such a strong arousal in such a long time. “Please stop,” I heard myself saying, and interrupting my current line of thinking.“What?” he asked, perplexed.“Stop, I can’t take it anymore,” I said, pulling back from him. I just stared at him.“What? Oh, I am sorry. I didn’t realize it was that obvious,” he said, but I could tell he was lying. “No, I am sorry. It’s not what you think. It’s just that it’s not the same. I mean, I am very grateful for the way you looked after me and I know I am very lucky to have you, but it is not the same. I don’t know. It’s weird. You see, I did not feel the same. I am really confused, Gabriel.” I was genuinely confused

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  • Miracle on Hollow Peak   WHY DO YOU HATE CHRISTMAS?

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  • Miracle on Hollow Peak    OLD MEMORIES

    KIRAMy question clearly took him by surprise. His eyes suddenly darkened and although I wanted to take back my words I didn’t. Something made him hate Christmas although here in Hollow Peak I discovered another side of Gabriel. “I don’t understand why you ask. I haven’t ever seen Christmas as having a special meaning for me. Christmas to me is sometimes an occasion that happens when there is no work and me being the boss can give myself days off so all of us have time to do whatever it is we want to do. That would be my way of celebrating Christmas, not going anywhere or doing anything just because there was a holiday. I only celebrate if I feel like it and what’s important to me doesn’t really have anything to do with the holiday at all,” Gabriel said so dryly that I almost snorted with laughter. I held back with difficulty. “Wow, but you really have some problems. You know? Christmas is about family, Gabriel. And I don’t have to be an expert to figure out that somewhere in you th

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  • Miracle on Hollow Peak   WAS IT ALL IN MY HEAD?

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  • Miracle on Hollow Peak   I LOVE YOU, KIRA REED!

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  • Miracle on Hollow Peak   GOOD OLD FRIENDS

    KIRA I love you, Kira Reed!It was all I could think of from our talk this morning. Right after he confessed, Gabriel left. I didn’t know where. He left me confused and agitated. Even the fact that the holidays were coming up in the family didn’t warm me. I knew I couldn’t go back to being the woman he left behind in London. But I also knew it wasn’t my choice to make. It wasn’t. And I needed him to know that. I flinched when my cell phone rang. It was Alana. God, how much I missed her!“Kira, girl, how are you? You haven’t called me since you left here. Are you okay? Rumor has it that the boss came for you? I hope it’s just a rumor... or is it?” I had no choice but to hold an awkward moment of silence that confirmed everything to Alana. “Oh my God! It’s really true!” she exclaimed in shock. “Yes, he came,” I said, exhaling. Another awkward moment of silence. “What the hell is he doing there? Has he come to beg you to come back?” I had so much to tell Alana that I didn’t ev

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  • Miracle on Hollow Peak   WHAT ARE FRIENDS FOR?

    KIRAAlana’s arrival was the best thing that could have happened to me in this entire ordeal. Now I had to fill her in on everything that was happening. And there was a lot. The ride home was a quiet one. From time to time, Alana was giving me her worried look. But I knew once I walked through the door I had to change this sad face. I didn’t want my mother to know the real reason for my condition. “I hope you can have another guest for Christmas dinner,” Alana said with a wide smile.My brother’s face suddenly brightened. “You know we will.” Mother said and gave her a warm hug. I looked over at my brother who was still looking at me with an odd look in his eye. The smile on his face was gone, replaced by a look of confusion. It was the look that told me he didn’t understand. I didn’t know what to say, and I just shrugged. “Come on, darlings, let’s sit around the table. I guess Alana’s tired. Would you like some hot chocolate?” Mom continued the series of questions.“That’s a w

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Latest chapter

  • Miracle on Hollow Peak   HAPILLY EVER AFTER

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  • Miracle on Hollow Peak   WE WERE A FAMILY

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  • Miracle on Hollow Peak   FOREVER AND EVER

    KIRAIt’s been a long time since I had such a calm conversation with Gabriel. I missed his warm voice. My heart was aching from the weight of the past as I sat there and watched Gabriel. I knew that in order to put the past behind us and stop hurting one other; we had to bury the hatchet of war. “Gabriel,” I began, my voice hesitant. “I need to talk to you about Maddie.”Gabriel looked up, his eyes meeting mine. “What about her?” he asked, his voice reserved.“I understand now that I made a mistake in hiding the truth about Maddie being your daughter,” I whispered. “I should have told you the truth from the beginning.”Gabriel’s expression softened, and he let out a deep sigh. “I know I didn’t do the right thing either,” he admitted. “When I did the DNA test without your knowledge and filed that lawsuit seeking full custody.”I nodded, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. “We both made mistakes, Gabriel. But Maddie needs us to be her parents, to work together for her sake.”

  • Miracle on Hollow Peak   ALL I NEDEED

    KIRAI couldn’t believe Gabriel’s nerve. He had the audacity to suggest we ignore the court’s decision and both look out for Maddie’s best interests. How far could his recklessness go?That this was happening to me shocked me. I walked all the way to Gabriel’s house, and here I was by myself in this pitch-black alley. I did not know how I got here, but I didn’t like it. My palms were sweating profusely, and my heart was pounding. I could feel my hair standing up on the back of my neck.Gabriel must still be in his house, I was certain. While someone else was coming after me, the coward wouldn’t. I knew it wasn’t him when I heard hasty footsteps behind me.It was someone else, and they were getting closer.My legs felt numb as I tried to keep up with the pace. I was too scared to look back, but I could hear them getting closer and closer. I knew I needed to find a way out of here, but everything looked the same in this alley. There were no lights, no doors, no windows.My mind started r

  • Miracle on Hollow Peak   YOU'LL REGRET IT, GABRIEL BATES!

    KIRA The only company I had while I sat alone in my living room was the sound of the clock ticking. The room was still, silent, and heavy with the weight of my thoughts. I couldn’t believe what had just happened. Gabriel had won custody of Maddie again. I felt sick to my stomach as I thought about it. How could this be happening? I had done everything in my power to prove to the court that Maddie was better off with me, but it seemed like none of it had mattered. Gabriel had won, and there was nothing I could do about it. I tried to overcome the sense of helplessness that had taken hold of me. For Maddie’s sake, I knew I had to maintain my composure, but it was challenging when all I wanted to do was curl up in a ball and sob. I reflected on all the occasions I had spent with Maddie, the times we had had together, and our love and respect for one another. Everything seemed very genuine and real. I didn’t know how the court could disregard that. But then again, Gabriel was a skille

  • Miracle on Hollow Peak   I MADE MY DECISION!

    KIRA I could feel my heart pounding in my chest as I thought about seeing Gabriel again in court. The citation had finally reached him, and we would have face off once more in our never-ending battle for custody of Maddie. It had been a year since I last saw her, and the pain of not being able to be with her on her sixth birthday still stung my heart. But I wouldn’t let that get to me. I would fight tooth and nail to get her back, no matter what it took. This time, with the help of my new lawyer and the additional evidence we had gathered, I was sure we would come out on top. It was not just about winning, though. It was about being reunited with my daughter, about being able to hold her close and tell her how much I loved her. Being a mother to her was what it was about, something he had denied me for a long time. I couldn’t let myself get too emotional, though. I needed to stay focused, to keep my eye on the prize. Gabriel would do everything in his power to keep Maddie away from

  • Miracle on Hollow Peak   A DAY TO REMEMBER

    GABRIEL As I ventured through the beautiful mountain range of Hollow Peak, I experienced a sensation of great joy and serenity. The cool breeze swept through my hair, and the chirping of birds filled the air, making me feel like I was in a different world altogether. But what made this experience even more special was that I was not alone. By my side was my six-year-old daughter Maddie, and for the next few days, she was all mine. I had planned this trip for a long time, and I knew Maddie would be over the moon to spend time in such a beautiful place. But what she didn’t know was that I had a surprise in store for her, one that would make this trip even more unforgettable. As we approached our destination, I couldn’t help but feel a little nervous. I knew that Kira's family was also in Hollow Peak and I knew there was a probability of me bumping into them. But that didn’t matter. I had already decided, and nothing was going to change my plans. Finally, we arrived at our destination

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