{Free story 1 paid bonus chapter} Virginia hates her school's basketball superstar, but Eli Shepherd is hoping to change that, one basket at a time. *** Virginia takes a job at her college's basketball gym where worlds collide and attraction runs wild between her and the school's captain of the basketball team- NBA Draft hopeful Eli Shepherd. Trying to keep her father's celebrity status as a retired basketball legend is a hard secret to keep, especially when her dad invites Eli over to train him- at her house. While deadly secrets threaten to tear apart the only family she has left, Virginia must search for answers while guarding her heart against the greatest threat it has ever faced- Eli Shepherd. 🚨COMPLETED🚨 *This story is FREE but there is one Paid bonus chapter! WARNING: Mature scenes and themes. Read at your own risk.

|| 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