"Talk to you about it?" I asked with a dark laugh. "it's not as easy as you make it sound," "Yes, Garret! Talking! You know what that is right? It's very easy! You just open your mouth and let the words that are in your head, come out of your mouth." "It's not that simple," I fought down emotions that were building up. "Yes, it is! See, i'm doing it right now!" "No-it's not!" "Yes!" "No!" "Yes! just talk, dang it!-" "You just expect it to be easy to talk about my dead parents?! About how guilty I feel for not visiting their grave for the past 11 years?! I didn't even realize how long it's been, I had pretty much forgotten about them for 11 years! Do you know what kind of guilt is eating at me right now!" I shouted in angst, my hands grabbing at the clothes on top of my head and pushing it into myself, wanting to just be shielded away from everything I was feeling, guilt, sadness, from thinking about more people I've lost in my life. Before I could even react, Keeley's tiny arms wrapped themselves around my torso. ~ 
Garret had a difficult life. His parent's died when he was 10, and he got moved around for 4 year's in foster care. He finally find's a home where he feels like he's family, He has a mom, dad and a brother. 4 years later things happen and everything start's to go wrong. People die and people you thought you knew show a whole different side. Garret finds himself distancing from everybody. Because if he's not close to anybody, they cant get hurt. Right? 
One day while at a fight he runs into Keeley, who is a spirited and confident little fireball. when they met it left an impression on Garret, soon he finds himself wanting to know her more. and soon, he find's himself falling for her. 
Everyone Garret's ever loved has died, has gotten hurt, or stabbed him in the back.will he be able to trust her enough to let her close,or push her away to keep them both from getting hurt? © 2013

"Amber?" I ask again. Her silence is my answer. I instantly grab her wrists inspecting them. I saw what I never want to see. She had cut herself. There was one freshly cut mark. I was furious. "Why? Why would you do this to yourself Amber!?" I raised my voice. "Is this the only one? Have you cut yourself in other places?!" I yelled and she flinched back. I was still had her small wrists in my large hands. "Amber!" "Please stop! You said you would help me not put me down!" She yelled back yanking her wrists away from me. She began to get up out of the bed. "No, no Amber please don't." I grab her arm, making her turn to me. "Please don't. I'll help you, I'm sorry. Please just sit down.." She debated with herself and went to my bed. Okay I know the book is called bruised and one character does get beat, but this was just one of many interesting parts of the book..

After escaping from police custody, Clover tries to piece his life back together. Determined to return to home and be reunited with his family, he has to first elude the country wide man hunt. Will he be able to resist his old ways in order to remain undetected? After hearing that Colin has escaped, Summer and Becca prepare themselves for the inevitable; Clover is coming back for them. Will the police and their families be enough to protect them? Clover's coming back and he's determined to prove to the girls; 'You'll always be mine'.