Sequel/ Book 2 to 'And Beyond' "You showed me what it's like to have something that feel like forever.."

"all mine now, Ma. Don't even think 'bout runnin'." 𝟐𝟒/𝟎𝟖/𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓|-𝟐𝟗.𝟎𝟖.𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓

One hotbox. One secret. Two boys who swore they were straight-until the smoke started messing with more than just their heads. Nic parties hard and lives louder, chasing highs and avoiding anything that feels too real. KT stays lowkey and unreadable, carrying a past he never talks about. They're nothing alike-but something clicks when they end up hotboxing in Nic's car at a random party. It was supposed to be just a vibe. But the more nights they spend together-talking, laughing, sharing things they shouldn't-the harder it gets to ignore the tension in the air. Glances last too long. Touches get bolder. And suddenly, nothing about being "just friends" feels right anymore. They've never looked at a guy like this before. Then again... they've never met someone like each other.

Deno is unapologetic about how much he loves Tripp. His feelings are loud, obsessive, and impossible to miss, pushing him to extremes just to make Tripp understand that what he feels is real. Tripp refuses to face it. He dismisses Deno's devotion as too much, too intense, convincing himself that whatever exists between them doesn't mean anything at all. When Deno's presence begins to feel distant, something quietly changes. The shift forces Tripp to sit with emotions he's long ignored, revealing that denial can only last so long before the truth demands to be seen.

Elijah has always known who he is. Loved by two fathers, protected, visible, and fearless enough to fight anyone who questions it. Tre, his best friend, has always known too, except his love for Elijah lives in silence, tangled with gang loyalty and a life Elijah was never meant to touch. Then Ty'quan appears. Identical in face but forged by abandonment and survival, Ty'quan is the brother Elijah never knew existed and the proof that one different choice can split a life in two. When Ty'quan is mistaken for Elijah and kidnapped, the mistake ignites a chain of violence that pulls both brothers deeper into the streets. Tonic, a dangerous gang leader, does not just want Ty'quan dead. He wants him close. As obsession tightens and love fractures, Elijah and Tre are forced to confront what their bond really costs, while Ty'quan must decide whether family can save him or if the darkness that recognizes him is the only place he truly belongs. Because sometimes love protects you. And sometimes it is the reason everything burns.

𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈'𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮.

(𝐚𝐝𝐣.) 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠; 𝐛𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐱𝐁

Arlo lives under constant pressure, doing his best to hold things together while caring for his 16-year-old sister Moniece and navigating a home shaped by their mother's addiction. When a crisis at home disrupts what little stability he has, Arlo is forced to take on even more responsibility than he ever expected. Cartier's life is shaped by risky choices and misplaced trust, until one night changes everything. Arlo, working a late shift at a gas station, steps in at a critical moment and gets him the help he needs. That single act connects their lives in unexpected ways, setting the stage for a bond that grows deeper as both men struggle with loyalty, survival, and the possibility of something more.

𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 1 𝐨𝐟 (𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬) 𝑯𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒃𝒊𝒅𝒅𝒆𝒏 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑺𝒕𝒆𝒑𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒂𝒅 𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒗𝒐𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒔 𝒐𝒏 𝒂 𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒍𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍. 𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈: 𝑺𝒆𝒙𝒖𝒂𝒍 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝑴𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝑳𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒖𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝑲𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝑻𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒔