
Introduction
Maya Reyes has three rules for surviving Oakhaven High: keep your head down, your sketchbook close, and never—under any circumstances—let the popular kids see you care.
But when her mom takes a housekeeping job for the richest family in town, Maya becomes the live-in babysitter for six-year-old twins. The catch? The twins' older brother is Caleb Sterling. Star quarterback. Golden boy. And the reason Maya eats lunch in the art room closet.
Caleb doesn't want a babysitter. He definitely doesn't want Maya—the girl his best friend dubbed "Gravy"—living twenty feet from his back door. But behind the perfect smile and Friday night lights, Caleb is drowning. His older brother's death left a crater in his family, and the pressure to be the replacement is crushing him.
Forced together in a house full of secrets, Maya and Caleb strike an uneasy truce. She sees the boy behind the armor. He sees the girl behind the invisibility. And when his teammates target her with a cruel prank, Caleb must choose: protect his social standing or protect the one person who's finally told him the truth.
Hatred turns to protection. Protection turns to something neither of them expected. But in a school ruled by hierarchy and a town that's already decided who Maya is supposed to be, falling for the quarterback might cost her the one thing she's finally learning to value: herself.
Chapter 1
The front door is white. I notice this because I've been staring at it for four minutes, unable to knock. It's the kind of white that costs more money to keep clean than my mom makes in a week scrubbing it.
My mom, Lydia Reyes, is already inside, rattling off instructions in her broken English about the "pH balance of the pool tiles." She's the housekeeper. I'm the... upgrade? Downgrade? The live-in babysitter for the Sterling family spawn.
"Just knock, Maya," I mutter, shifting the duffel bag on my shoulder. It's full of my life: sketchbooks, oversized band tees, and the industrial-sized bottle of Tums I need because stress makes my stomach feel like a washing machine full of rocks.
I don't belong on this street. Oakhaven Lane is where the lawns are chemically engineered to be greener than envy and the mailboxes are custom-built to look like the houses they belong to. My house—a duplex near the highway overpass—has a mailbox held together by duct tape and spite.
I raise my fist. The door swings open before I can knock.
It's not Mrs. Sterling.
It's him.
Caleb Hayes Sterling. Six-foot-three inches of muscle, tan, and the reason I eat lunch in the art room closet. His hair is damp, dark curls clinging to his forehead like he just stepped out of a commercial for expensive shampoo. He's wearing a gray t-shirt that fits like a second skin and basketball shorts. His feet are bare.
He looks at me.
I look at him.
In my head, I run through the last time we spoke. Monday. Third period hallway. He'd dropped his physics book—a class I'm also in, though you'd never know it because he sits in the back with the gods of this school and I sit in the front with the mortals—and I, being a decent human being, picked it up.
I held it out. He looked at my hand, then at my body, then at his friend Travis.
"Nah, I don't want gravy stains on it."
Travis had snorted. The hallway had laughed. I had dropped the book and walked away, feeling the heat of humiliation climb up my neck like a rash.
That was Monday. Today is Friday. And I'm standing on his porch.
"You," he says. His voice is flat, but his eyes are scanning me, cataloging the threadbare duffel bag and the stain on my jeans that looks like coffee but is actually acrylic paint.
"Me," I say. My voice comes out steadier than I feel. "I'm Maya. Lydia's daughter."
"I know who you are." He leans against the doorframe, crossing his arms. "You're the one who eats lunch with the art supplies."
The Property of Gravy.
He doesn't say it, but I hear it in the pause.
Mrs. Sterling appears behind him like a puff of expensive perfume and yoga-toned arms. She's beautiful in that ageless, Botox-smooth way. "Maya! Sweetheart, come in! Don't mind Caleb, he's just grumpy because I told him he has to clear out the pool house for you."
Caleb's head whips around. "The pool house? Mom, you said she was staying in the guest room."
"The guest room is now my Peloton studio, honey. You know that." Mrs. Sterling waves a dismissive hand. "The pool house has a private bath and a mini-fridge. It's practically an apartment."
"Practically an apartment" is a generous description. Later, when Mrs. Sterling shows me the space, I see it's a converted garage with a fold-out couch and a window that looks directly into the turquoise abyss of the swimming pool. It smells faintly of chlorine and old sunscreen.
"It's perfect," I lie, because my mom is standing behind Mrs. Sterling, her eyes wide with that desperate "Please don't mess this up for me" look. The Sterlings pay twenty-two dollars an hour. That's more than our rent.
Caleb stands in the doorway of the pool house, his shadow long across the concrete floor. Mrs. Sterling chirps about "the children"—twins named Sophie and Sam, age six—and their schedules.
"He'll help you with the heavy lifting," Mrs. Sterling says, patting Caleb's cheek. He flinches almost imperceptibly. "Won't you, honey?"
"Sure," he says, his jaw tight. "I'll lift the heavy stuff."
She leaves us alone. The silence is louder than the highway traffic I'm used to.
"Look," Caleb says, not looking at me. "I don't know what sob story your mom told my mom to get you this gig, but let's get one thing straight."
I brace myself. Here it comes. Don't touch my stuff. Stay out of my way. Don't look at me.
"I don't need a babysitter. I don't need a shadow. And I definitely don't need you telling anyone at school that you're living in my pool house."
That's it? Not the Gravy joke?
"Fine," I say. "And I don't need anyone knowing I'm living in the pool house of a guy who thinks 'throwing a ball good' is a personality trait."
His eyes narrow. It's the first time he's actually looked at me. Not through me. Not past me. At me.
"Whatever," he mutters, turning to leave.
I watch him walk back to the main house, his shoulders hunched against the evening air.
The pool house is cold. The mini-fridge hums like a dying bee. I unzip my duffel bag and pull out my sketchbook. On the first page is my latest drawing: a girl with my hips and my hair, standing on a rooftop, holding the moon in her hands like a Frisbee. She's laughing.
I turn to a fresh page and start drawing the white door.
A shadow falls across the page. I look up. Caleb is standing at the window of the pool house—the one that faces the pool. He's not looking at the water. He's watching me draw. When our eyes meet, he holds up a box of stale crackers and a jar of peanut butter.
"Dinner," he mouths through the glass. "Kitchen. Five minutes."
Before I can respond, he disappears into the dark.
---
Last Chapters
#66 Chapter 66 The last letter
Last Updated: 7/15/2026#65 Chapter 65 The Time Capsule
Last Updated: 6/15/2026#64 Chapter 64 The Morning After
Last Updated: 6/15/2026#63 Chapter 63 The Vote
Last Updated: 6/15/2026#62 Chapter 62 The Journals Of Elena
Last Updated: 6/15/2026#61 Chapter 61 The Road North
Last Updated: 6/15/2026#60 Chapter 60 The Will
Last Updated: 6/15/2026#59 Chapter 59 Letter from Dying
Last Updated: 6/15/2026#58 Chapter 58 Arrival
Last Updated: 6/15/2026#57 Chapter 57 The Language of Silence
Last Updated: 6/15/2026
You Might Like 😍
Bound By Power, Torn By Love
She regards him as her only salvation, but he regards her as a pawn for revenge. When two enemies dance on the sharp knife, what will be the final outcome?
The Spy Who Left
"I still can't believe she actually did it. Aria Hart, filing for divorce. Who saw that coming?"
"How long do we think it'll take before she comes crawling back?" Another voice joins the conversation.
"Three days," Victoria declares. "Five at most. She has no money, no skills, no family. Where's she going to go?"
When Aria Chen divorced billionaire Leon Hart, New York's elite sneered, betting she'd crawl back within days. She never did.
Three years later, the world is rocked when Dr. Aria Vale, CEO of a revolutionary cybersecurity empire, steps into the spotlight. The mysterious genius who built a billion-dollar company from nothing is none other than Leon's discarded wife, the woman everyone thought was just a pretty ornament.
Now, every powerful man wants the queen Leon threw away a renowned scientist seeking partnership, a financial titan proposing an empire, and an actor offering devotion. Each sees the brilliance Leon ignored.
Then Leon discovers the truth: Aria's sacrifices, her secret double life, and the daughter she's been raising without him. For the first time, the man who once took her for granted must fight for her love. But can he compete with men who valued her from the beginning?
A story of love, betrayal, and power where the king must kneel before the queen who never needed saving.
Omega Bound
Thane Knight is the alpha of the Midnight Pack of the La Plata Mountain Range, the largest wolf shifter pack in the world. He is an alpha by day and hunts the shifter trafficking ring with his group of mercenaries by night. His hunt for vengeance leads to one raid that changes his life.
Tropes:
Touch her and die/Slow burn romance/Fated Mates/Found family twist/Close circle betrayal/Cinnamon roll for only her/Traumatized heroine/Rare wolf/Hidden powers/Knotting/Nesting/Heats/Luna/Attempted assassination
The Contract Wife: Marriage Of Malice
He didn't finish. He didn't need to.
I didn't tell him to stop.
Instead, my fingers curled into his shirt, clutching the fabric as though it was my only anchor. Something in him snapped—something he had been holding back for too long. His mouth found mine in a kiss that wasn't tender, but hungry, desperate.
I gasped into him, his hand sliding up to cup my jaw, holding me as if afraid I might vanish.
"You drive me insane," he breathed against my mouth, his lips trailing to my throat. "I can't lose you, Ella. Not you."
My head fell back, a soft sound escaping me as his fingers memorized my waist. My anger melted beneath his desperation.
"James..." I whispered, more plea than protest.
His hand caught mine, fingers threading together tightly. "I'll bring him back. I swear it. Just... don't turn away from me. Please."
The word please—low, ragged, almost broken—undid me more than anything else could have.
Ella never imagined she would marry the man she had secretly loved for years in such a way.
When her brother Theo faced twenty-five years in prison for massive embezzlement, the ruthless business tycoon James Lancaster offered her a deal: marry him in exchange for her brother's freedom.
This wasn't a fairy tale proposal, but a carefully orchestrated revenge. Because in James's heart, Ella was the culprit who had killed his sister Cecilia. He wanted her to pay the price—to atone with a lifetime of suffering.
Game of Destiny
When Finlay finds her, she is living among humans. He is smitten by the stubborn wolf that refuse to acknowledge his existence. She may not be his mate, but he wants her to be a part of his pack, latent wolf or not.
Amie cant resist the Alpha that comes into her life and drags her back into pack life. Not only does she find herself happier than she has been in a long time, her wolf finally comes to her. Finlay isn't her mate, but he becomes her best friend. Together with the other top wolves in the pack, they work to create the best and strongest pack.
When it's time for the pack games, the event that decides the packs rank for the coming ten year, Amie needs to face her old pack. When she sees the man that rejected her for the first time in ten years, everything she thought she knew is turned around. Amie and Finlay need to adapt to the new reality and find a way forward for their pack. But will the curve ball split them apart?
The Deadly Mafia Princess
Her gang take the matter in their own hands, to try to save their leader from the horror of her home. What none of them know, they wasn’t her real parents, and now Ro will be sent away to live with her real family. That makes her closest members in her gang pack up and move as well. They don’t want to be far away from their leader.
Bella and Her Beast
.
Locked in her frozen tower, Bella dreamed of warmth, of touch, of freedom and of love. Cursed with the power of ice and snow, she’s spent her life alone. A secret they tried to protect the world from. Her only escape comes in the form of the books she reads. Stories of heat, desire, and the kind of love that could melt even her frostbitten heart.
Damien is the Beast. A dragon King with a temper forged in flame and a soul hollowed by duty. The world fears him. The people call him a monster. But beneath the scales and the rage lies a man who has never been touched by love.
When frost meets fire, the world shatters. She was never meant to leave her tower. He was never meant to find her. But destiny doesn’t bow to kings or care for cages and now the question burns through them both: Can Bella have her Beast? Or will the girl of snow melt in the heat of his desire?
.
"I’m keeping her."
"What?"
Before I can react, he scoops her up. Her small body fits easily in the cradle of his talons. For a split second, she looks startled, but not afraid. Her hand rests against one scaled finger, and she stares up at him with that same curious wonder, as though she’s already forgotten she was ever meant to fear me.
"Put her down," I try to command, panic threading through my thoughts. "You’ll hurt her."
"She’s ours," the beast insists, possessive and fierce. "Our snowflake."
Bound by Fate, Freed by Choice
Her escape leads her to Alpha Rowan, the commanding leader of the Blackwood Pack, who offers shelter, protection, and an unexpected chance at a new life. But Rowan’s fierce and jealous fiancée sees Lyla as a threat, and the pack’s charming Beta is drawn to her quiet strength.
As a dangerous attraction simmers between Lyla and Rowan, they begin to unravel a dark web of secrets that implicates Kaiden and threatens both their worlds.
With her hidden power awakening, Lyla must navigate treacherous loyalties, face the alpha who shattered her, and decide: Will she follow the destiny fate forced upon her, or claim the love and strength she has chosen for herself?
From Substitute To Queen
Heartbroken, Sable discovered Darrell having sex with his ex in their bed, while secretly transferring hundreds of thousands to support that woman.
Even worse was overhearing Darrell laugh to his friends: "She's useful—obedient, doesn't cause trouble, handles housework, and I can fuck her whenever I need relief. She's basically a live-in maid with benefits." He made crude thrusting gestures, sending his friends into laughter.
In despair, Sable left, reclaimed her true identity, and married her childhood neighbor—Lycan King Caelan, nine years her senior and her fated mate. Now Darrell desperately tries to win her back. How will her revenge unfold?
From substitute to queen—her revenge has just begun!
Where The Ice Gives Way
Blake Atlas scents his mate the moment Charlotte arrives. The bond hits hard and unmistakable, but Charlotte doesn’t recognise it. She doesn’t know why her chest keeps pulling toward the one boy she absolutely cannot afford to want. Blake is Charlie’s new hockey captain. Charlie’s chance at making something good. Charlie makes it clear; his sister is off-limits and Blake tries to do the right thing, but secrets don’t stay buried forever. Rogues prowl the edges of town. The ice cracks. The bond tightens. Then Charlotte’s rare white wolf awakens, the very thing that makes her powerful, also makes her a target.
Shanti needs Shakti. (Peace needs strength.)
Where the Ice Gives Way is a slow-burn YA paranormal romance filled with fated mates, protective alpha energy, fierce sibling loyalty, found family pack bonds, hurt/comfort, and quiet, aching tension. It’s a story about first belonging, learning to be cared for, and what happens when the girl who has always held everyone else up finally falls, and someone catches her.
They'll Regret This
My fiancé didn't just dump me—he proposed to her that same night. My so-called family handed me bus fare and a one-way ticket to the countryside.
Perfect. Let them think they won.
They don't know who I really am. The anonymous genius surgeon who saves lives when elite hospitals give up. The legendary artist whose paintings sell for millions at auction. The undefeated shadow queen of the underground fighting circuit. And the true heiress to a fortune that makes theirs look like pocket change.
Now my ex-fiancé begs on his knees. My fake sister's jealousy is eating her alive. And that cold, arrogant CEO who once threw our engagement contract in my face? He's hunting me down like a man possessed, desperate for one more chance.
They threw me away like trash to upgrade their lives.
Joke's on them.
I was always the upgrade.
Avery and the Cursed Alpha
Then a mysterious billionaire offers her a deal that sounds too good to be true.
Alexander Ravenswood is powerful, wealthy, and feared throughout Tenebrous City. Behind his perfect public image lies a deadly secret. He is the Alpha of the Nocturne Pack, cursed by an ancient bloodline that is slowly driving him toward madness and death. His only hope lies in finding the legendary Aethon Orb—or the prophesied mate destined to save him.
When Alex discovers that Avery can draw symbols connected to the long-lost artifact, he offers her a contract she cannot refuse: become his fake fiancée for six months in exchange for enough money to erase her debts and save her home.
What begins as a business arrangement quickly becomes something far more dangerous.
As they search for the missing Orb, Avery is drawn into a hidden world of werewolves, ancient prophecies, and deadly pack rivalries. Powerful enemies want Alex's throne. A jealous Alpha heiress wants Avery gone. And a ruthless rival Alpha will stop at nothing to claim the Orb for himself.
But the greatest secret of all may be Avery herself.
Because the closer she gets to Alex, the more impossible truths begin to surface about her past, her strange abilities, and the destiny that has been waiting for her all along.
With a curse threatening Alex's life, enemies closing in from every side, and a forbidden bond growing stronger by the day, Avery must decide whether to walk away from the dangerous Alpha who needs her—or risk everything for a love written by fate itself.
In a city where secrets kill and destiny cannot be escaped, can a fake engagement become a love powerful enough to change the future?












