All First Chapter Samples

“You ask him. You’re the one who’s curious.” Bryan’s whispered voice held an edge of panic, but since it was Kevin egging him on, I thought that was to be expected.

“But you’re the one who’s little, so you should ask.” Kevin seemed to be trying to convince Bryan that his logic was sound, but there was obviously some debate over that.

“This isn’t my idea. I don’t even know why I’m listening to you.” Bryan’s voice was clearly stressed but since he seemed more likely to hit Kevin than pass out, I didn’t step in. “You’re a nuisance, and I’m going to tell Jeremy you’re driving me crazy.”

Kevin just giggled. “Good, I haven’t been spanked in days.”

Bryan groaned. “I don’t need to know that.”

Kevin giggled again.

“Let’s just go.” Evidently whatever Kevin was trying to talk Bryan into wasn’t sounding like such a good idea anymore.

But Kevin was persistent.

“You’re going to feel ridiculous if you chicken out now.” There was a pause, and I knew more than likely Kevin had hugged his still-nervous friend. “Besides, it’s just a question, it’s not like you have to do anything.”

“But what if he thinks it’s stupid or too personal?” Bryan’s voice dipped quieter, but I heard his nerves even more clearly.

“I’m not a stalker.” I thought getting that out first thing was important to establishing innocence just in case it went to court, but the group of guys standing around me all cocked their heads to the side like confused puppies.

They weren’t puppies.

Well, most weren’t.

“Santa has…tentacles.” There was a mix of surprise and confusion in his voice, but I wasn’t sure why.

The aliens that had settled on Earth had taken a variety of fun jobs and there seemed to be very little logic to some of them. If he wanted to explore being Santa for the holidays, who were we to tell him no?

“He’s got a great beard, though.” It was much better looking than last year’s Santa even if it was just as fake. “And he’s clearly having fun. Look at how they’re all wiggling.”
And the grin he was wearing… Santa was having fun.

“No, he got me a cute Build-a-Bear. It’s dressed up just like me at work…yeah…a little tool belt and everything. I don’t know how he did it but my Secret Santa is the best.” Sound cheerful but not too giggly. Happy but not devious. Not too loud because then he’d become suspicious and realize I was talking to no one. Phones really were amazing because no one could ever tell if there was someone on the other end or not. They also made it easy for me to look so distracted I wouldn’t notice my sexy and slightly nosy neighbor inching closer to the fence that separated our properties. “No, the first one was that card and the chocolates. Yeah, […]

“I’m sure we can find someone who owns a flamethrower. Hell, Amazon delivers just about anything.”

God, one day the thin walls in these apartments were going to be the death of me. Looking up at the ceiling, I tried not to imagine what the idiots upstairs would do with a flamethrower.

They couldn’t even run a toaster without setting off the fire alarm in the building.

What the fuck were they doing?

“What about moving? That’s an option. You said you wanted more closet space.” The earnest panic in the slightly deeper voice had me realizing I could hear them entirely too well.

Fuck. I’d left the window open. It was stupid considering how badly the sound carried, but it wasn’t my fault. It was not supposed to be this warm in December.

“Where’s a Daddy when you need one?”

The funeral seemed to be his breaking point. Gage had walked and paced and stalked every inch of the house in the days since the accident, but he’d seemed to be holding it together. Something about seeing them both laid to rest broke him…or maybe broke the stranglehold he had on his emotions.

Gage liked control.

Control over his emotions.

Control over his future.

Control over me.

What nineteen-year-old thought they had to worry about their parents getting killed in a car accident? I wondered if knowing there was nothing he could have done broke something inside him. Hell, maybe the last piece of sanity, and I just hadn’t noticed how little the thread had gotten.

But how could I?