Novels

After the senior prom, everyone was confessing to their crushes. Everyone expected me to go after Liam, to corner him and make him be with me. But after the crowd thinned out, I was nowhere to be found. Little did he know, in the deserted classroom, I was straddling his best friend's lap, a blush creeping up my neck. “I’m right here, you don’t have to look at the pictures anymore,” I managed to say. Cole looked down at my deliberately short dress, the hem hiked up way past my fingertips. His jaw tightened. "Riley, you should get off me now. You still

My mom always says the best hairstyle for a girl is a shaved head. Clean, simple, and easy to take care of. Plus, it keeps you from going around trying to tempt boys all the time. Growing up, that's exactly what I had—a shiny, bald head. And I got all the weird looks that came with it. The summer after high school, I threatened to kill myself just to get the chance to grow my hair out. The night before I was supposed to leave for college, my mom shaved my head again while I was asleep. 1 A bloodcurdling scream echoed from the bathroom early in the

I’d ditched my shot at a tenure-track position to bike across the country. My advisor, Professor Davies, was blowing up my phone, demanding why I’d tried to sabotage Brittany Miller by plagiarizing her research paper. Last time around, Brittany and I had been battling it out for that coveted university job. Professor Davies had said whoever published first would get the position. I'd practically lived in the lab, grinding away day and night. Brittany submitted her paper first, and it was identical to mine. I became the campus pariah, a total copycat. When I tried to explain, Professor Davies shut me down, declaring I’d ripped

It was only because his darling, Tiffany's daughter, needed a massive blood transfusion due to anemia, and he needed me to sign a blood donation consent form. “Rainy, you've got three minutes to get your butt over here and donate blood, or don’t even think about me ever forgiving you.” My phone went silent. John, losing his patience, called again and again. Eventually, Winnie, my daughter, answered, her voice cold, “How many times do I have to say it? My mom’s dead.” John, on the other end, nearly exploded. “You and your mom, what a pathetic act! You two should be on the stage, not pulling

I had this weird gift, a kind of twisted superpower: I could hear the thoughts of people who didn't love me. But on the eve of my wedding, I suddenly heard my fiancée’s thoughts: “If he tries to pull a ‘runaway bride’ move tomorrow, I’d better not be wearing heels. Gotta make a clean getaway.” I didn't say a word. The next day, I hopped on a flight to Europe. Later, the wedding became the talk of the town – both the bride and groom had bailed. ... I’ve always had this freaky ability – I can hear the innermost thoughts of anyone who doesn’t

My son and my wife's golden boy from her past were both bitten by a rattlesnake. Even though I got my kid to the hospital first, my wife, Sarah, went against protocol, using the last vial of life-saving antivenom on her ex's son. Seven-year-old Mikey died in my arms, the pain tearing him apart. I went ballistic, screaming at her, demanding to know why she wouldn't save her own flesh and blood. Sarah just looked at me, cold and calm, and said, "It was his time. It was Mikey's fate. He had to accept it." 1. I stared in disbelief as Sarah, with her own two

My sister-in-law's kid, Mikey, was covered in chickenpox spots, but instead of keeping him home, she just hauled him over to my place. I was totally against it, but my mom, behind my back, let him in. Before I knew it, my three twin girls caught it. Then, they developed these crazy high fevers and started having seizures. While my sister-in-law and mom were just sitting there, cracking sunflower seeds, my three little girls were foaming at the mouth, bodies convulsing, and then… they died. I went ballistic, tried to attack my sister-in-law, but she and my mom held me down, forcing my head

I was a music major, a real prodigy, graduated top of my class at the conservatory. I even had a little buzz going online, posting covers that got some decent views. But when I dropped an original song, the internet turned on me faster than you can say "copyright." The comments all accused me of plagiarism, even my classmates looked at me sideways, telling me to apologize. I listened to the other song, and yeah, the melody was exactly the same as mine, note for note, but it had been posted a day earlier. And the girl who put it out? She

Seven years after I died, my daughter, Lily, appeared on a children's TV show. The producers called the number in my old phone. A cold, dismissive voice on the other end said, "Listen, Sarah, I told you it was over. Stop bothering me. I'm with someone else now, and I'm happy. Don't try to mess that up." The studio went silent. Lily, bless her heart, told everyone that number hadn't been answered in nine years! Clutching the phone, she said softly, "Daddy, is that you?" There was a stunned pause, and then, "Who is this? Why are you calling me 'Daddy'?" Lily's voice wavered, "It's