Filed To Story: The Broken-Hearted She and The Icy He Book PDF Free
Carefully, she examined herself from every angle. Then she tugged at the silicone on her nose and splashed water all over her face.
Satisfied that her disguise was waterproof and that the prosthetics wouldn’t peel off easily, she finally picked up her phone and headed downstairs.
James had asked for her home address once.
But she hadn’t bought a house yet and couldn’t give him a real one. So she’d told him the floors in her apartment were under repair, and she was staying at a hotel for the time being
They had arranged to meet at 8 am
When she stepped outside at 7:30, she figured she’d be early-probably would have to wait a while.
But to her surprise, James was already there, standing just outside the hotel entrance.
From a distance, he looked calm, head slightly lowered, completely disinterested in the world around him.
But the moment she stepped outside, he lifted his gaze-fast, instinctively-and their eyes locked.
He had seen pictures of Leila before.
People said those photos were heavily edited. The woman in them looked nothing like the one approaching him now.
And yet, the moment he saw her, he knew-knew with absolute certainty-that this was his Leila.
Step by step, she drew closer. The details of her face came into clearer focus.
Her skin was dark.
Two hideous scars-one on her forehead, one on her right cheek-split across her face like raw slashes.
On her left cheek, just under the eye, was a mole the size of a bean.
Her nose was big and round, awkwardly out of place..
Just like she’d once told him during one of their chats-she really was pretty ugly.
But… ugly in a kind of cute way.
Her eyes were bright, twin peach blossom-shaped pools that shimmered with watery light, like black gemstones sunk into the surface of a crystal-clear lake. The sight alone sparked joy.
And her lips-shaped in a soft, natural curve-were red, dewy, and sweet-looking. They practically begged to be kissed.
James quickly looked away, ears burning. He felt it was inappropriate-even indecent-to keep staring at her mouth like that when they’d only just met.
Lily caught the motion right away.
She figured he’d turned away so fast because her face was just that disgusting to him. That her appearance had shocked him into silence.
She let out a quiet breath of relief.
This was her first time truly meeting him in person as Leila-and if everything went right, it would also be the last.
Their dual identities could finally part ways. No more mess. No more ties.
“Elias, I’m Leila.”
Changing her voice came easily-Lily was a professional voice actress, after all. She could shift her tone in a heartbeat.
Right now, her voice sounded exactly like a lively, energetic teenage boy.
James’ ears burned even hotter.
Her voice was… really nice, too.
When he didn’t respond, Lily assumed it was because he was too put off by her appearance to say anything. He probably didn’t want to be rude, though, so he hadn’t walked off.
Might as well spell it out.
“I wasn’t lying to you, was I? I really am pretty ugly.”
She glanced at his flawless side profile and continued, “Elias, you’re really handsome. Standing next to me is like like Beauty and the Beast, except reversed. We just don’t fit. We-“
Shouldn’t see each other again.
Before she could finish the sentence, she felt something wrap tightly around her hand.
Startled, she looked up in disbelief-only to find that he’d stepped forward and grasped her hand firmly in his own.
His voice, usually so cold and clipped, now carried an unfamiliar warmth.
“I don’t think you’re ugly. I think you’re… cute.”
Cute?
Lily’s eyes went wide with shock.
Upstairs in the hotel room, she’d nearly burst into tears just looking at herself in the mirror.
Words like unsightly and creepy didn’t even begin to cover how hideous she looked.
And yet here he was, calling her cute-and holding her hand?
What the hell was wrong with his taste?
James, for his part, was stunned by how soft her hand felt.
In his mind, men’s hands were always rough and stiff. But hers-hers felt like one of those squishy stress toys he’d once idly poked at.
Tiny, warm, smooth. He could easily wrap her whole hand in his.
The feeling was strangely addictive. He couldn’t help but squeeze her hand tighter.
The firmer his grip grew, the more stunned Lily became. Her eyes stretched even wider.
Their gazes met. For a moment, James’ heartbeat skipped entirely out of rhythm.
The way she looked at him, eyes round and sparkling, made her seem even livelier-almost unbearably. charming.
And with that round, cartoonish nose…
She looked exactly like a confused, adorable little piglet.
James fingers twitched. He had the sudden, powerful urge to pinch her check.
But they’d only just met-it would be way too forward.
So instead, he just held her hand tighter. Tighter still..
As if by doing so, he could walk hand-in-hand with her through all the lifetimes yet to come.
His grip was getting a little painful now. Lily’s fingers ached.
Something about this didn’t feel quite right. She tried to pull her hand away.
But he was too strong. She couldn’t break free.
So she spoke gently, testing the waters. “Elias, could you maybe… let go for a sec?”
“I know we’ve had a lot of great conversations and we really click, but I’m just too ugly, and you’re no good-looking. I don’t think I’m good enough for you. Maybe we should
“Who says you’re not good enough for me?”
He didn’t even give her a chance to finish drawing the line between them.
“In my eyes, you’re the most beautiful person in the world. I’m the one who’s not good enough for you!
Lily felt like screaming.
This this mess of a face-was the most beautiful in the world?
Did he not see the ridiculous matchmaker’s mole on her left check?
Did he not notice the two jagged scars scrawled across her skin?
She had worked so hard this morning to make herself as hideous as possible. She was absolutely certain she could win first place in an “Ugliest Kid on the Street” contest right now.
And yet he thought she was beautiful….
New Book: Returned To Make Them Pay
On her wedding anniversary, Alicia is drugged and stumbles into the wrong room—straight into the arms of the powerful Caden Ward, a man rumored never to touch women. Their night of passion shocks even him, especially when he discovers she’s still a virgin after two years of marriage to Joshua Yates.