If I were an ice queen, Casey has come to thaw my frozen heart.RobinAria Falls is a small city known for celebrating even the smallest of holidays on a grand scale. So why did I choose today to participate?Now I’m shivering at the shore of the freezing ocean, waiting my turn to jump in.Luckily, Casey takes my hand and plunges us both into the new year with a fresh start.Maybe it can be a fresh start for a ne...

KaylinnMy nephew’s dad left my nephew and my sister, and now I’m determined to make this holiday season the best they’ve ever had. I know I can’t replace his dad, but I can be the best aunt and sister they could want or need.That means taking them to things like this gingerbread competition for families.At least, until they decided to limit the families spaces to pairs, and now I can’t even fit at their table to watch them decorate their gingerbread...

From sharing a bed to sharing a bed…MaxAfter years of confronting and eventually accepting my asexuality, the last thing I thought would happen would be kissing my best friend.No, the LAST thing I thought would happen is that kissing them would send me into a spiral of romantic yearning that I’d never experienced before.Lou shares my food, my apartment, and even my bed when they need assurance and affection, but thi...

“Right person, wrong time” but this time, the pieces can all come together…forever.TurbineVal Argent was the love of my life. I knew that from the first time he kissed me in our high school locker room after hockey tryouts.But, as kids do, we split apart for college. We were drafted by different teams.It was the way of things, no matter how much we hated it. We broke things off and let each other fly on our own for ...

All it takes is one nightmare to break a friendship.CadeLiving with your best friend slash roommate slash love of your life can get complicated.Haines and I shared an apartment, a class schedule, and all of our groceries. But he didn’t know I was in love with him and have been for years.Today, one of my usual nightmares drove me out of bed and onto our fire escape, gasping deep breaths of cold air ...

One mistake that turns into something sweet…KaylaYou’d think I would know better than buying a horror book, but it was only five dollars, and a date with myself in the park reading a new book sounded perfect.But then I met Jack, who accidentally scared me out of my wits by simply saying hello.There are two ice creams in his hands, and I can’t say no when he offers me one.Could this be the start of a new chap...

To save my nana’s house, I had to accept the auction.KnoxFreshly back home from pursuing my culinary dreams, my friend auctions me off as an in-home chef for his son for an entire month.What I didn’t expect was Lucy.He’s an artist, every bit as rich and proper as his father, but what I saw behind his eyes made me want to break past his barriers.Lucy paints his soul on the canvas—his pain, his heart, and the ...

Years of one night stands never stood a chance against one night in the back of McCrea’s car.LexAfter Thursday’s hockey game gone wrong, I needed a night with someone that was filled with fun and burning off the pain in my shoulder.What I didn’t expect was McCrea, who stepped in when a guy got too handsy at the bar.McCrea was hot as sin, with hazel eyes and a dorky shirt that I wanted to tear to pieces.We go...

ByronI’d finally left my father’s house and joined two other guys in their 6th floor apartment. Now I had freedom to be myself away from the punishments of home.One morning, when I came out of my bedroom, I found my roommates with a new woman. She was blonde, bright, and beaming. It was overwhelming to my sleep-addled brain, so I tried to keep my distance.But Hannah was having none of it.She waltzed into the kitchen, invaded my personal spac...

How did the grouch cross the road? Well, with the help of an insistent aunt to a shy scout; that’s how!CerenaAs promised, I was spending my morning running around with my nephew to fill in all the requirements for him to earn his community badges for his scouts troop.But patience is running thin, and stomachs are grumbling, so I have to step in and show him just how easy it would be to speak to a stranger and help them acro...

A shelter dog is a man’s best friend…MattieYears after I’ve lost my family dog, Carmichael, I’m ready to try again.Ellie is an adorable and graying black lab at my local animal shelter, and I want nothing more than to take her home and be the family she needs.Bennett, the attractive shelter employee with a sweet Great Dane, isn’t convinced I know what I’m doing.Can I convince him to let me adopt Ellie? That I’m the perfect d...

OliverBeing single was fine until my best friend decided to spend the holidays with her boyfriend’s family instead of with me. Now I’m sitting in an empty apartment, wallowing in self-pity.Until Theo knocked on my door.This sexy single dad needed sugar so he could bake cookies with his son, and now I’m invited to join them.How could I say no to that?All that was left to know was if this was going to be one night. Or could this be for...