Tag: Coming of Age/New Adult

Worst Best Friend Ever by J.S. Cooper

I’ve been writing letters to a military man overseas and now he’s coming back home…

I started writing to Cody two years ago while he was stationed at a base overseas. I’ve told him everything about my life…only I slightly embellished some parts. Like the fact that I’m really into sports, have a serious boyfriend, and I’m in my fifties. I had my reasons, you see, but now he wants to meet and I’m scared he’s going to think I’m a big liar.

So I decide to tell him that I’m his pen pal’s daughter, yeah, nothing like adding oil to the fire. But when we meet I can’t help but think how handsome he is and how I want more. But how can I ever start a relationship with someone that doesn’t really know the real me? Am I the worst best friend ever?

 

Son of Saint by Ruby Vincent

Waking up next to a stranger wearing a wedding ring was not on the itinerary.

I came to Las Vegas for a quick girl’s trip, but somehow ended up a married woman. What I thought would stay in Vegas followed me back to my small town of Sunrise Bay, Alaska.

Of course, my new husband—MMA champion fighter, Logan Stone—couldn’t find me alone at my house to tell me he wants to give our impromptu nuptials a shot. He has to tell me in front of my entire family and half the town.

The two of us couldn’t be more opposite, but he offers me a deal I can’t refuse which involves me pretending we’re happily married for three months. Yeah, a lot of things can change in that short amount of time, most importantly catching feelings for a man whose lifestyle I despise.

 

Burn it Down by J. Wolf

I’m the smart girl with my nose constantly in a book. The one with the level head who never breaks the rules…until I do.

And wouldn’t you know, the one person who knows about my case of temporary rebellion is the last one I’d ever want to find out.

Gabe Fuller might be Savage River High’s class clown, but as far as I’m concerned, he’s a villain in disguise. Once upon a time, I gave him my heart, but our ending was no fairytale.

As the keeper of my darkest secret, Gabe thinks he owns me. I’ll play along because I have no other choice, but I’ll never bow, and I definitely won’t fall…no matter how good his hands feel on my curves.

 

Cakewalk by Sundae Leighton

“I don’t want to see your face around here again.”

I fully intended to stay away from the Knights of Kingston High as instructed. I was safer now, or at least that is what I tried to tell myself even when the horrible nightmares made me to wake up screaming. Or when the pain I caused them followed me around when I was awake.

I was determined not to return until I had no other choice. You simply do not say no when it comes to the Knights.

When I suddenly find out that I’m not who I thought I was, that everything about me is a complete and total lie, I’m not sure who I can trust anymore.

Are these five boys really my friends? Or will they turn out to be something much worse?

 

The Masks We Break by Lee Jacquot

Love.

It’s the most widely used deception in the world. It creates weakness within the mind, leaving rooms for distractions, and threatens to hinder my goals of success. I won’t allow something as inconsequential as love to get in my way.

Even if it means pushing away the only one who’s ever made me feel something.

Remy Solace.

She’s a dangerous distraction.

She’s the sun, threatening to incinerate the darkness from my soul, and keep me from focusing on what really matters–what I’ve always wanted.

And while every fiber of my being knows I need to stay away, I can’t help but wonder…

What good is a knight without a queen to protect?

••••••

The Masks We Break is a steamy, opposites attract romance. It does contain certain situations that some readers may find triggering.

While it is considered a standalone in the Emerald Falls Series, it is advised to read the first, The Masks We Wear, to enhance your reading experience.

 

Through the Ashes by J. Wolf

I’ve never fit in, but I have no desire to stand out either. I was perfectly fine hanging in the shadows, but my choice to remain anonymous is taken from me.

I’m thrust into the spotlight. His spotlight.

Asher Beck is a golden god at Savage River High. Football star, whip-smart, and popular, we don’t belong in the same hemisphere, let alone circle. But underneath that perfection is a darkness he only reveals to me.

I have no idea what I did to capture Asher’s attention, but he is relentless in his pursuit. The problem is, I can’t tell if he’s trying to break me or own me…and I don’t know which I want more.

Broken boy meets broken girl.

Author’s Note: Through the Ashes is a high school bully romance with mature themes and dubious situations some readers may find offensive. If heroes who are golden on the outside but dark as night on the inside aren’t your thing, this book isn’t for you!

 

Promise to Love You by J. Saman

Henry Gauthier: Bassist. Gorgeous. My brother’s best friend. And the man who destroyed my heart.

He’s also the man I grew to hate after a one-night stand went horribly wrong. I’ve spent the last three years successfully dodging him like a bullet.

Now, fresh out of a bad relationship and living in a new city, I finally feel like I’m starting to get myself together. And when an opportunity to produce Wild Minds’ newest album presents itself, I can’t help but jump at the chance of a lifetime.

Even if it comes with a caveat.

Three weeks in Hawaii, an impossible to meet deadline, and Henry Gauthier.

Eden Dawson: Spitfire. Stunning. My best friend’s sister. And the bane of my existence.

I’ll be the first to admit three years ago I messed up. I shouldn’t have touched her.

Sort of like now. Because my best friend, my bandmate, made me promise that when it comes to his baby sister, I keep my hands to myself.

Only a woman like her is impossible to resist. And before I know it, despite my best efforts, we’re doing all manner of dirty things to each other.

We vow this only a temporary fling. Promising that no matter what, love is off the table.

Now, I have to make sure two things don’t happen. One, I don’t break my promise to her. Two, her brother doesn’t find out I already broke the one I made to him.

 

Savage Queen by Alley Ciz

I grew up a queen among men.

Proud.
Strong.
Royalty.

I’ll do anything for the ones I love, even if it means allowing myself to be forced from my kingdom.

I may be stuck having to play Samantha St. James inside the gilded halls of my new school, but I’ll always be Savvy King at my core.

Now Jasper Noble and his merry band of douchebags expect me to yield.

That’s funny.

They think they’re tough.
Gods among men.
I know they’re nothing but ordinary bullies.

With threats coming from all sides, my adversaries will come to learn—I don’t bend the knee for false kings.

 

The Revenge You Seek by Tracy Lorraine

From USA Today bestselling author Tracy Lorraine comes a new dark bully college romance.

Scarlett Hunter could run…

But she couldn’t hide forever.

The beautiful girl who tempted me.
The heartless woman who broke me.

She might have got away, but I haven’t forgotten… or forgiven her.

And I never will.

Because piece by piece, she’s taken away everything I care about.

And for that she’ll pay.

When I claim my crown at Maddison Kings University, I’m going to make sure hers is tarnished.

Scarlett Hunter is about to experience the revenge of a Legend.

Dear Reader,
The Revenge You Seek is the first book in Letty and Kane’s trilogy. This book is a dark bully romance that contains mature content and demanding alphaholes that some readers may find disturbing. You have been warned.

 

The Touch of a Villain by Holly Renee

Young. Wealthy. Elite. Ruthless. The boys of Clermont Bay ruled over this town as if it was their kingdom.

And Beck Clermont controlled them all.

He was arrogant and conceited, and from the moment I met him, he had made up his mind about me.

Dangerously handsome and wickedly cruel, he had no intention of letting me spend my senior year under the radar.

The secrets of old money ran deep, and even though I barely knew them, the sins of my family had put a target on my back.

He was a hurricane, and I was unprepared for the storm.

His touch fatal. His impact irreparable.

There was no negotiation.

He stole my heart. Without warning, without permission.

He was the enemy, but that didn’t stop me from falling for The Touch of a Villain.

Start a Fire by J. Wolf

I have my senior year planned: keep my head down, don’t make any waves, and get the diploma. I’ve done the popularity thing at Savage River High, but after two years away, I have no interest in reclaiming my crown.

The last time I put myself in the spotlight, I was left in shambles.

Unfortunately, my carefully laid plans go to hell when I grab the attention of dark, forbidding, and brutally hot Sebastian Vega. He looks at me like he wants to kill my puppy or eat me alive. Quite possibly both.

Sebastian is everywhere I go, and he’s decided I’m the twisted game he wants to play, whether I’m a willing participant or not.

The question is…what will I have to lose in order to win?

Authors Note: This is a DARK high school bully romance with mature themes and dubious situations that some readers may find offensive. If you’re looking for a nice guy, prince of a hero, this story isn’t for you.

 

For Keeps. For Always. by Haley Jenner

Our friendship fell into our laps.
The right place, the right time.
We were for keeps.
Until we blurred the line of love and friendship.
Our love story hasn’t been easy.
Right place. Wrong time.
Wrong place. Right time.
We’ve felt heartache as heavily as we’ve caused it.
As deep as we love one another, we can’t seem to fight hard enough at the same time.
Our friendship was for keeps.
Will our love last for always?

 

Legend by Tracy Lorraine

I made one mistake…

And she made one phone call that nearly destroyed my life.

I’ve spent the past year plotting my revenge and imagining all the wicked things I’d do to her when our paths finally crossed again.

I just had no idea it would be so soon.

The last thing I expected when I re-entered the world was to find myself right in the middle of hers.

The girl who betrayed me, the snitch who ruined me—here for the taking.

While she’s been oblivious here in Rosewood, I’ve been trapped in hell.

Better watch your back, Harley Hunter.

You’re about to be owned by a Legend.

Dear Reader,

Legend is the highly anticipated final book in my Rosewood High series. It’s a dark bully high school romance with the high levels of angst, steam, and emotions you’ve come to expect from my boys!

 

Hate Me by Ashley Jade

A Stepbrother Bully Romance

I’m the whispers in the dark you can’t ignore.
The bully you can’t run away from.

I’m the tormentor who makes your life a living hell.

The villain you love to hate.

I’m the vicious stepbrother sleeping in the next room.

The one who knows all your secrets.

And I’ll stop at nothing to make you pay.

WARNING: This book is recommended for mature readers due to graphic language, sexual content, and dark elements.

 

The Forever Girl by Jill Shalvis

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis does it once again with a heartfelt story of family, forgiveness, and secrets that have the power to change the course of more than one life.

When Maze returns to Wildstone for the wedding of her estranged bff and the sister of her heart, it’s also a reunion of a once ragtag team of teenagers who had only each other until a tragedy tore them apart and scattered them wide.

Now as adults together again in the lake house, there are secrets and resentments mixed up in all the amazing childhood memories. Unexpectedly, they instantly fall back into their roles: Maze their reckless leader, Cat the den mother, Heather the beloved baby sister, and Walker, a man of mystery.

Life has changed all four of them in immeasurable ways. Maze and Cat must decide if they can rebuild their friendship, and Maze discovers her long-held attraction to Walker hasn’t faded with the years but has only grown stronger.

 

FURY by Tracy Lorraine

I’m infuriated by my feelings for her…

They’ve held me captive all this time.

I might have been the one that walked away, but that doesn’t mean I’m not still haunted by her—by what I did to her.

But that’s the thing about ghosts… they always return when you least expect it.

My stepsister was an outlet for my pain, but everything has changed.

Now I’ve got nothing to lose.

If she thought I hated her the first time we met, then she’s about to get a shock.

The rage I felt didn’t compare to the fury that now consumes me.

I might be empty, but I’m going to show her how it feels by taking away everything she has… one painful piece at a time.

 

Break Me (Brayshaw High, #5) by Meagan Brandy

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I had a plan, and it was solid.

Track down what was hidden away and take pleasure in toying with it.

Toying with her.

It worked like a charm.

Until it didn’t.

Turned out, the feisty little thing I found was far from what I hoped for.

She was different from all I knew and more than I expected.

She was light, and I’m the bastard who led her into darkness.

But this girl… she followed with a smile.

I told her I break pretty things.

She asked me to promise.

This is a 125k word standalone novel! No other books of mine have to be read in order to read and enjoy this book.

Hunter (Rosewood High, #5) by Tracy Lorraine

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I’m a nobody… until everybody realizes who I am and who I’m related to.

Then it’s like a giant target is painted on my back. They all think they can use me to climb the Rosewood High royalty ladder.

They obviously underestimate me. I won’t cower down or give in.

They can’t break me. But he can… without even trying.

Zayn Hunter.

He doesn’t want to use me… he’s already at the top— one of the Kings of the school.

He wants something else. Something he can’t have.

Me.

Yet he’s always there, living up to his name. Stalking me, like I’m his prey…

Maybe I am.

Even with the teasing and taunting, he’s not the real predator. He’s my protector.

His rescuing could be my undoing.

Because not everything is a game, and the boy I love to hate isn’t the only one watching.

He just might be the only one who sees me… the real me.

I just hope it’s enough.

Dear Readers,

HUNTER is a dark high school bully romance, and the fifth in the emotional and addictive Rosewood High series. 

Paper Stars Rewritten (Fallen Brook, #2) by Jennilynn Wyer

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This is the story of a girl and three boys.
Elizabeth. Jayson. Julien. Ryder.
A princess and her three princes.
But this is not your typical love story.
Elizabeth’s choice changed everything.
It took one night to destroy it all.

One will lose everything.

>One will get a second chance.

One will have to choose.

Pick a side. Are you Team Jayson, Team Julien, or Team Ryder?

Ryder.

It has always been the four us – me, Elizabeth, Jayson, and Julien. We grew up together. Shared our lives together. We were best friends. We were a family. Until we weren’t. Until my best friend betrayed me.

Let me back up to the beginning. I have loved Elizabeth since I was nine years old. From the moment she smiled at me and teased me. Elizabeth was everything I ever wanted but couldn’t have because my best friends, Jayson and Julien, were in love with her too. So I was relegated to watch from the sidelines, stuck in the role of best friend, as the girl I loved gave her heart to someone else.

But I loved her enough to let her go because loving her meant I would sacrifice what I wanted for her to find happiness – even if it wasn’t with me. Then one horrific night changed everything, and Elizabeth was gone. Taken from us. Taken from me.

It’s been over a year since Jayson, Julien, and I last saw her. Every day has been a struggle without her, and all we want, all we wish for, is to have her back. What is the old adage? Be careful what you wish for.

What happens when life offers you a second chance? Am I selfish enough to take it? Strong enough to survive when it all comes crashing back down around me?

All I know is – our stories can be rewritten.

Paper Stars Rewritten is Book 2 in the Fallen Brook Series, a mature High School & Young Adult, New Adult & College, Contemporary Romance with mature themes. Book 2 ends in a cliffhanger. The series ends with an HEA, but you have to ride the roller coaster journey first to get there. You may think you know how Elizabeth’s love story ends, but like life, things can change in the blink of an eye. Because of mature content, it is recommended for ages 17+.

You should read Book 1 in the series, All Our Next Times, to get the back story of the events and characters in Book 2. Don’t miss out on the highly anticipated conclusion of Elizabeth’s love story. Broken Butterfly: Fallen Brook Series, Book 3 which releases June 1, 2021! Enjoy!

Everywhen (Savage Princess, #1) by Liberty Freer

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Many orphan girls dream of becoming a princess. For me, that just became my nightmare.

My life has been consistently unstable for the past nineteen years, so I was under the impression nothing could shock me.

I was wrong.

Forced to attend the famous Westling interview, I’m told I’m Anna Westling, the lost princess who was kidnapped at the age of three which is ridiculous because I’m the opposite of what a princess is supposed to be.

Thinking it must be a sick joke, I bolt, but Dominick Cabot hunts me down. He’s determined to make me spill secrets that I don’t know. When he doesn’t get the answers he’s looking for, he’s left with a choice… leave it to him, the ruthless, domineering brute, to pick the wrong one.

Now, to save the only family I have ever known, I have to spend two months as someone I’m not.
I’ll do my forced time, I’ll live her life, but I won’t change myself, even if it kills me—and it just might because not everyone is happy that Princess Anna has returned.

This is a new adult/college age enemies to lovers romance with bullying themes. It has foul language and sexual scenes; all sex featured is consensual.

 

Broken Kingdom (Royal Hearts Academy, #4) by Ashley Jade

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Welcome to their broken kingdom.

They say you’re happy now.
That you can’t remember anything from your past and it’s for the best.
They told me if I cared about you I’d stay far away and leave you alone for good.
Because you’re getting married to a man you love.

Only problem is…
you loved me first.

According to Plan (Stone Haven, #2) by Victoria Ellis

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Madison Alexander fled Huntington, South Carolina the day after graduating from high school and has refused to look back since. Being in the very center of a scandal in her small-town made the decision to pack up and leave easy.

After putting herself through college and starting her photography business, life in New York City was looking up…

Until she receives a call that her dad is hospitalized and she is catapulted straight back into all the reasons she ran away from her small, southern town in the first place.

Enter Travis Ford, the ultimate southern gentleman and Madi’s first crush. He’s agreed to help Madi’s dad fix up the old farmhouse she grew up in. Sure, five years have passed since she’s laid eyes on Travis, but how can five years be that good to a man? More importantly, did Travis have that chiseled of a jawline and those perfect, drool-worthy muscles back in high school?

No sooner than Madi and Travis reconnect, he’s the one leaving this time, and for the turbulent world known as the military. The two say their goodbyes and promise that his tour won’t stand in the way of their potential to be together.

But, life isn’t always fair and seldom goes according to plan.

According to plan is a small-town romance that promises:
-A HEA
-No Cheating
-Steamy Scenes
-Friends to Lovers Romance

According to Plan is the SECOND book in a SIX book STAND ALONE romance series!

Beneath the Stars (Sugarlake Series, #1) by Emily McIntire

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Alina
I was eleven when I met Chase Adams. I loved him before I knew what lovin’ was.
I pulled, he pushed.
I gave, he took.
I loved… I lost.
Now he’s back. All grown up and sexy as sin.
But things changed while he was gone. So, he can show those dimples and flex those muscles all he wants. It won’t change a thing.
Chase Adams is nothin’ but a lost memory. I’ll do everything I can to keep him that way.

Chase
Growing up, there were only two women I ever loved.
Neither one of them ever really loved my back.
Until her. Alina. My Goldi.
She was everything that’s good. I was the bad.
She was the brightest goddamn star. I was the black hole shredding her to pieces.
I loved her wrong, losing her to my demons.
But now I’m back. A better man.
I’ll do everything I can to make her remember us, even if all she wants is to forget. 

 

Fierce (Rosewood High, #4) by Tracy Lorraine

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Everyone thinks they know me… but they’re wrong.

Fearless on the outside— a lie.

I’m a fraud, hiding behind a mask of perfection. My reality very different.

The captain. The leader. The Queen Bee.

None of it real— all just an illusion.

Perception is everything and I use it to get what I want, when I want, refusing to let anyone stand in my way.

Until he shows me that he’s not the man I expected. He’s not just the quiet one… the innocent one.

But the one to finally tear away the mask and look beneath the surface. The only one who sees me, gets me, challenges me.

He’s already changed my life in a way I never expected.
My secret could make us or break us, but I know one thing for sure… I’ll protect it fiercely.

That’s the real me. Chelsea Fierce.

The girl behind the mask with everything to lose.

Wicked Princess (Royal Hearts Academy, #3) by Ashley Jade

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Welcome to their kingdom.
They call me a heartless b*tch.
An evil manipulator.
A wicked princess who enjoys hurting people.

They tell me terrible things happened.
Things that changed my life forever.

Only problem is…

I can’t remember any of it.

This is book 3 in the Royal Hearts Academy series. Please note: Although this is Bianca’s book, Cruel Prince (Jace and Dylan’s book) and Ruthless Knight (Cole and Sawyer’s book) should be read first for a better understanding of the family dynamic.

WARNING: Royal Hearts Academy is a New Adult/High School series of standalones filled with drama, a touch of angst, and boys who are bad to the bone. The characters are flawed. If you’re looking for a safe, sweet romance with nice heroes and heroines who are perfect all the time, this series is NOT for you.

 

Drowning in Stars by Debra Anastasia

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… he walked a tightrope five stories up just to hold my hand.

Gaze: I moved into the building next to Pixie when I was eleven. She blew bubbles through my window. I shot my Nerf gun through hers. We both had secrets, but one of us was fated to get hurt. I wanted it to be me.

Pixie: When I was afraid of the dark, he would shine a light in my window. We shared our popsicles and I taught him how to get a good swing on the playground. I never imagined I’d have to decide who got to live and who didn’t. I chose him –and he could never know.

She walked a tightrope five stories up just to save my life…

★☆★ Drowning in Stars is a full 100k standalone. ★☆★

Devious Kisses (It’s Just High School, #1) by Thandiwe Mpofu

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𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒔 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒇𝒂𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕, 𝒃𝒖𝒕… 𝑰𝒕’𝒔 𝑱𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝑯𝒊𝒈𝒉 𝑺𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒍.⠀

Here’s the 411 about high school—well, at least for my high school, Clintwood Academy.⠀

💋It’s a fucking warzone.⠀
💋Everyone has a grudge against someone else. ⠀
💋It’s the breeding ground for losers, jealous broken-hearted girls, and acne covered fools with zero game.⠀
💋The disgustingly rich kids are vile, vindictive, popular, and the mecca of a social life worth a damn.⠀
💋Lastly, high school is simply survival of the fittest.⠀

And I was the fittest of them all. Once.⠀

Once, before I set up to take the fall for an attempted murder of one of the Fitz brothers, the golden boys of St. Jude High, our sworn rival enemy.⠀

Before I was played for a kiss and it worked. ⠀

Now, the Fitz brothers hate me.⠀
They suspect me.⠀
They want to destroy me.⠀
They know everything about me, and I hate them for it.⠀

And now, we’ll all be living together, like one big, happy step-family. With secrets brimming, hatred festering, and other feelings I have no business having for my step-cousin-brothers or whatever, haunting me night and day.⠀

Now, let’s kiss and be forever rivals…

Ruthless Kings (Windsor Academy, #2) by Laura Lee

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In a world filled with secrets, lies, and cruelty, only the strongest will survive.

I’m living proof of that.

But being left for dead has made me question everything I thought I knew.

I want to believe I have allies in these ruthless games, but the more truths I unravel, the more twisted and tangled the web becomes.

And the deeper I fall down the rabbit hole, the more determined I am to bring them down.

*RUTHLESS KINGS is book 2 in the Windsor Academy series and cannot be read as a standalone. It is a dark high school bully romance that may contain triggers for sensitive readers. Due to mature content, it is recommended for readers 17+ only.

Be My Brayshaw (Brayshaw High, #4) by Meagan Brandy

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“Cross one, cross all.”

That’s the Brayshaw way.

She should have realized this before sliding into our world with secrets too big to bury.
She didn’t and now the target is on her back.

The day her lies came crashing down, I should have forced her out.
Instead, I locked her in, and with the promise I would never be hers.

I resisted, fought against us.
I caved.

I tasted what became my newfound favorite flavor and fell hard for the little liar.

But then the depth of her treachery reveals itself, and with it a reminder.

Our town is a twisted place, and with truth comes trouble.

In the blink of an eye, my world is split at its core, and I’m faced with an impossible decision, one that leads to a single outcome…

Betrayal.–
This is Captain Brayshaws book and the fourth book in the Brayshaw series.

 

Fake It ‘Til You Break It by Meagan Brandy

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Fake.
That’s what we are.
That’s what we agreed to be.

I thought it would be harder, convincing everyone our school’s star receiver was mine and mine alone, but we played our parts well.

So well, the lines between us began to blur until they disappeared completely.

The thing about pretending, though, someone’s always better at it, and by the time I realized my mistake, there was no going back.

I fell for our lie.
And then everything fell apart.

It turned out, he and I were never playing the same game.

He didn’t have to break me to win.
But he did it anyway.