kiab.reads > Recent Status Updates

“You can’t measure your success based on someone else’s progress. And I’ve met your family. Trust me, it’s better that you don’t fit in.”

“And, Stella? Leave the unicorn.” 😆

“I’m pretty sure nothing I do will be good enough for my family, so why even try? I might as well tell them the truth about how I feel. I should’ve done it a long time ago. But honestly, I don’t think I would’ve found the courage to do so tonight if Christian hadn’t been there.”

“I’ve always been the quiet, obedient daughter. The one who did everything my parents asked, who apologized even when I didn’t need to, and who bent over backward to make sure everyone was happy. But every person has a limit, and I’ve reached mine.”

“This was the first time in a long time that I’d done something for me, and honestly? It felt damn good.”

“It wasn’t the right night to make a move. I’d waited this long. I could wait a while longer. Because when I claimed Stella as mine, I would do it so fucking thoroughly there wouldn’t be a shred of doubt in either of our minds as to who she belonged to…or who I belonged to in return.”

“Stella had seared so deep into my consciousness that she was all I could smell. All I could feel. And even when I closed my eyes, all I could see.”

“I’m not a jealous man, Stella. I have never envied someone for what they have or who they’re with, and yet…” “I’m jealous of every person you smile at.” A brush over her fingers. “Every laugh I don’t hear.” My touch dipped to her knee and made a slow, languorous journey up her thigh. “Every breeze that touches your skin and every sound that pours through your lips. It. Is. Maddening.”

“It’s because you haven’t looked me in the eye since New York. Because you’re all I can fucking think about no matter where I am or who I’m with, and the thought of you hurt or upset makes me want to raze this city to the ground.” Soft, almost desperate viciousness coated his voice. “I’ve never wanted someone more, and I’ve never hated myself more for it.”

“I wished I could’ve kept it, but I’d always wished for things I couldn’t have. Love. Affection. Worthiness. Something deep and unconditional that I could call my own.”

“It was barely a kiss. We hadn’t even moved, yet our brief contact consumed me. The air in my lungs, the beat in my heart. In that moment, Stella was the only thing that existed. I breathed her in. Exhaled. And pulled back. We stared at each other. Our almost kiss had lasted no more than a fraction of a minute, yet we were both flushed and panting like we’d run a marathon.”

“I inhaled Stella’s soft gasp like it was my last ounce of oxygen, and a groan worked its way up my throat at her sweet taste.”

“Stella shared most of her life online, but I wanted to hear about it in her words. I wanted to understand the way she thought, felt, and saw the world. I wanted to unravel every thread that made her her and lay them all bare so I could examine them. Figure out what it was about this woman in particular that entranced me…”

“From a logical standpoint, moving Stella into my house was one of the worst decisions I could’ve made. She was my biggest distraction. My weakness.”

“I’d been wrong. Stella wasn’t a distraction. She was a danger—not only to my business but to myself and the parts of me I hadn’t known still existed.”

“I’d never let another person sleep in my bed before. I thought the sight of her nestled among the black and gray silks would be strange, but it felt right.”

“It was my first time touching Stella for such an extended length of time, and I was going to savor every second. It wasn’t sexual, but the simple glide of her hair against my palms slowed my pulse to a torturous crawl before kicking it into overdrive. Touching her killed me, then brought me back to life again.”

“I had no desire to leave my apartment. I could live here for the rest of my life and be happy. It was safe, quiet, and fully equipped with movies, ice cream, and internet. What more could a girl want?”

“(He still hasn’t gotten over losing to a unicorn in my poll. I told him he would’ve won had he shown his face, which went over as well as you’d expect.)” 🤣

“That’s my girl.”

“The poll must be broken because that’s ridiculous.” I tried not to sound as insulted as I felt. “It’s not, but you have twenty-three hours and fifty-one minutes to catch up.”
“…And for the record…” I tapped my phone screen. “You need followers with better taste if they’re choosing a unicorn over me. I’m wearing Brioni, for fuck’s sake.”

The question was simple: Who would you rather cuddle with? Mr. Harper or Mr. Unicorn? “You’re losing, by the way,” Stella said. “Mr. Unicorn is beating you 53 to 47 percent.” 😆

“Christian Harper didn’t have social media; CP612 did.”

“In the span of twenty-four hours, Stella had thrown those systems into complete disarray.”

“I might as well be invisible.”

“If I acted like everything was okay, it’d be okay.”

“Touch her for any reason other than to save her life, and you die.”

“Green eyes. Green dress. Symbolic of life and nature. Green. Apparently it was my new favorite fucking color.”

“Careful, Stella.” His low warning pulsed between my legs. “I’m not the gentleman you think I am.”

He paused at the fuzzy purple unicorn propped against my couch pillows. Amusement filled his eyes. “Cute.” “Cute?” I tried not to sound too insulted. “Mr. Unicorn isn’t cute. He’s beautiful.”