love is real, and i knew that when i saw 2 sets of big doe eyes admiring me.

Ava DaSilva is the quiet, straight-A student-introverted, drama-free, and perfectly content with just her sister and her best friend by her side. She keeps her head down, her grades up, and her heart locked tight. Then Billie O'Connell transfers in. Tattooed, fearless, and carrying a reputation that makes people whisper. Billie sees Ava and decides she's hers-no negotiations, no exceptions. Nothing will stand in her way. But Billie comes with baggage: a gang-affiliated life, dangerous friends, and secrets that could burn everything down. Ava has never been one to chase trouble, and Billie is trouble in every way. Is the pull between them strong enough to survive Billie's world... or will it be too much for Ava to handle?

"𝐈 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐨." 𝐀 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥, 𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞, 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐬.

two college sweethearts are conflicted when a delusional childhood friend comes into the picture. "i always thought love was a facade, but when i saw that gleam of admiration in your eyes, i knew i'd just been scared of it all along."