Nicholas Adams has lived a life of abuse from his alcoholic father and sex addict mother. So growing up was tough. He makes sure everyone fears him. He refuses to get close to anyone. But, new girl Alice might be the one to change his plans. Alice navigates through the ups and downs of high school trying to hide her feelings for the cold and closed off Nicholas. Little does she know, Nick harbors the same feelings. As soon as Nicks eyes land on the fragile Alice, his heart desires her. But with so much baggage on both sides, could they really make it out of high school hand in hand? ~~ "I love the things you hate about yourself. And we're going to do this your way. If you're not ready I'm not either." My hands drop to my side at what he says and my eyes fill with tears. "Alice we don't have to..." His hand cups my cheek and I place mine over his. "I love you," I whisper and his forehead falls against mine. ~~ Highest rankings: #1 in badboy #1 in teenfiction #1 in possessive #1 in protective #1 in goodgirl #1 in insecure #4 in love #5 in romance WARNING: swearing, mature scenes, references and actions of abuse Posted: 5/17/20

|| Featured FREE story with exclusive paid chapters - previously a paid story || When Haley discovers the truth behind Xavier, whose silence holds a deeper meaning, she sets her mind on making his life better one small step at a time. ***** Haley Rosamond is happy with her simple life, content under the wing of her father. Well-protected, she has no idea of the darkness surrounding Xavier Hunt, with his all-black attire and infrequent presence in school-accompanied by his bruises and scars. That is, until Haley catches a glimpse of Xavier's reality and is made to question everything she knows about family and life in general. The truth, she realizes, couldn't be more different from everything she has heard. Supported by her father, Haley sets her mind on helping Xavier any way she can, and what begins with tutoring sessions, free food, and random acts of kindness blooms into friendship and something a little more. But when Haley's admission into her dream college and another tragedy in Xavier's life threaten to undo everything she has worked for, Haley needs to decide if she'll stick by Xavier or simply be another person in his life that disappears. [[word count: 80,000-90,000 words]] Cover designed by Holly Thurston