|| 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

"Why do you care if I'm mad or not?" It was the only thing I cared about knowing at this point. "You're smart King. You figure it out." Ace Carter was bad news and so were his friends. Luckily, I stayed away from him, his friends and all their drama. It was easy enough, being invisible and all. ••• But Ace noticed me one day. That day changed Ace and me. He wanted a favor and that deed was to pretend to be his girlfriend for three weeks, at most. ••• There was no way in hell I could ever like the guy, even though he was smoking hot, and seemingly sweet, so I agreed. ••• The more I got to know Ace, the more I realized he wasn't just a bad boy or a player. He was sweet and caring. ••• But I wasn't sure I was ready for the feelings being around Ace incurred from me. But something told me Ace would fight until he got me to want him back.

When devastating circumstances caused Scarlett Hudson to leave her home town she never imagined that another tragedy would force her to return three years later and the past she had tried so desperately to bury would start clawing its way out. If all that wasn't enough, her former bestfriend Hunter Adams, the person whose betrayal had cut her the deepest three years ago, seems hell bent on doing everything in his power to win her trust again. As secrets from the past begin to unravel Scarlett is forced to question everything she once believed in.

Hadley Jamison doesn't know what to think when she hears that her classmate, Archer Morales, committed suicide. She didn't exactly know him, but that doesn't stop her from feeling like there was something she could have done to help him. So to Hadley's surprise, on the very night of Archer's funeral, she has a run in with Death himself and is offered the chance to go back in time to stop Archer from ending his life. The catch? She only has twenty-seven days to do it. And if Hadley doesn't succeed? Well, she doesn't want to think about that.