When Everly Reed collides with the cynical and devilishly handsome Mason Valdez, she knows trouble is ahead, but she never could have guessed how much she would be drawn to the storm. ***** Nineteen-year-old Ever Reed likes when things make sense. Which is probably why she excels at math, enough to secure her a spot at an Ivy League school out of state. Sheltered by her mother and older brother Asher for most of her life, Ever hasn't experienced much of the world, but she knows New York will be an adventure. Enter Mason Valdez: cynical, arrogant, and undeniably attractive-exactly what Ever doesn't need. But as their paths keep crossing, Ever finds herself intrigued by Mason, and eager to know the boy behind the bitter mask. As secrets, scars, and painful pasts rise to the surface, Ever knows one thing for sure: they can only make it through if they face their storms together. [[word count: 150,000 - 200,000]] Cover designed by Frances Louise De Ramos Spinoff to The Hoodie Girl Book One of the A Thousand Storms series [[The Fiction Awards 2018 Best Overall Story and Best Romance Winner]] Content/trigger warning: This story mentions sexual assault and childhood abuse

Emery Knight had learned, time and again, that a fairytale happy ending wasn't in her destiny. With a talent with words, of mixing reality with fiction but believing she doesn't, she abandoned her dream of becoming an author. In York, as a college student, she struggled with part-time jobs to keep her head above water. When a paid internship, involving someone she never thought she would meet again, knocked at her door, her world turned upside down. Elijah Hale had always known he wouldn't be able to chase his dreams. As the third son of the baron, he had given up on his happiness, pushing himself to meet his father's expectation. When Emery slammed into his life, originally to help him meet the expectation, he began to question everything he had ever known. What would happen when they find themselves with a chance at their dreams? Would they walk away or help each other find true happiness?