BOOK 1 in the Drowning/Bully Standalone Series. WARNING: This book contains intense bullying, explicit scenes, triggering language, violence, and psychological content. I told Caden to cancel his stupid party. He told me, with that infuriating smirk, "Why? Planning to be my snack tonight?" Caden has made my life hell for four years, ever since our parents got married. He's gorgeous, arrogant, and the kind of boy Stanford girls trip over themselves for. Me? I'm the only one who sees right through him. He's a blatant bully, the devil who turned me into a surreptitious one. And now we're stuck sharing the same off-campus apartment for our entire freshman year. Living together means new rules, no boundaries... and a tension I never expected. The closer we get, the harder it becomes to remember why we ever hated each other in the first place- and nothing threatens our pride more than that. *** Step into an adventure of passion, forgiveness, and second chances. This is Caden and Madison's story.

𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝟏 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐎𝐘𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐂𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐘 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 ─────୨ৎ───── 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐄𝐍 𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐎 feels invisible. As the daughter of the Royal Academy's football coach, everyone assumes they know her, but no one truly does. Beneath her fake exterior lies a girl drowning in secrets, desperate for someone to see past the facade. Then 𝐀𝐀𝐑𝐎𝐍 '𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐄' 𝐎'𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐎𝐑 the academy's new star footballer, steps into her life and starts to notice the cracks in her armour. Connie has his own struggles. With a father who's relentlessly pushing him to become a football star, he's constantly fighting to meet expectations he isn't sure he can fulfill. The last thing he expects and needs is to find himself distracted and drawn to a certain curly haired blonde. ─────୨ৎ───── When I park in front of her house, I speak up before she can say goodbye. "I know you're going through something." The words come out rougher than I intend. "You try to hide it, but I see right through you, Carmen Castro." "Aaron..." Her eyes drop to her hands, her fingers twisting together. "You don't have to tell me anything. But I need you to know that I'm here for you. Whenever you need me. Okay? You can text me, call me, whatever. I'll drop everything." Her eyes flicker up to meet mine. She looks... scared. Not of me. But of something else. "Please?" I add, my voice breaking. I was never one to beg but ever since meeting Carmen, I've been a fucking beggar. She swallows hard and nods her head slowly. "Okay." Then, gives me a weak smile before slipping out of the car. [ 𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 ] #1 mental health #1 addiction #1 awareness #1 academy #1 teen love #1 drugs #1 football #1 sad #1 rehab #2 healing #3 sportsromance

She loved him loudly. He loved her quietly-only when it was convenient. Leah believed two years of love meant security, a future, a place she could finally call hers. Yet, every time it mattered, he chose someone else. A best friend. A familiar comfort. A silence that hurts more than betrayal. This is a story about emotional neglect, unspoken loyalties, and the slow realization that love without priority is a form of loss. It asks a difficult question: How long can you stay where you are never fully chosen?

Sadie Rockwood and Julia Alessi are best friends, both eighteen and finishing up their senior year of high school. They are inseparable and have been for quite some time. Sadie has always yearned for a sense of belonging and unconditional love, something her alcoholic mother could never provide. Julia's family, however, seems to offer just that. But when she especially finds solace and acceptance in Julia's father, an unintentional attraction forms. As the two bond in secrecy, Sadie's issues worsen, and navigating through them with the unavailable man causes a destructive downward spiral that pulls him and the unsuspecting family along for the ride.

Alex swore no hockey player would ever touch her, especially not Jaxon Cross-the campus playboy known more for his bedroom skills than his game. But when a no-strings hookup pact turns into something deeper, she's forced to choose between keeping it casual or risking her heart. ------- Alex loves sex... maybe a little too much. Her last hookup left her dry spell even drier, and she's convinced no guy can ever satisfy her until Jaxon Cross. Jaxon is Northridge's hockey golden boy, though his real reputation has nothing to do with the ice. Rumors of his bedroom skills spread faster than campus gossip, and while he secretly hates the image he's built, he can't escape it. When Alex and Jaxon cross paths, sparks fly-but not the good kind. She can't stand him, and he's addicted to the way she looks at him like he's the worst kind of mistake. Then Jaxon overhears her venting about her lackluster sex life... and makes her an offer she doesn't expect: a no-strings hookup pact. Alex doesn't do hockey players, especially ones with reputations like his. But eventually, curiosity wins. And what starts as a physical arrangement quickly turns into something neither of them bargained for. Because Jaxon doesn't just satisfy her body. He makes her laugh, surprises her with his sweetness, and shows her a side no one else gets to see. The more Alex falls, the more terrified she becomes. She swore this was only about pleasure. He wants more. And now she has to decide if she's brave enough to want it too. This is the second book in the Northridge Series.

It wasn't supposed to mean anything. Just one night. Sydney Hale goes home with a stranger who's charming, funny, and way too easy to talk to. The chemistry is instant, the sex is unforgettable-and somehow, they end up staying up half the night laughing, talking, and getting to know each other in a way that feels dangerously real. It scares her. So the next morning, she does what she always does when things start to matter-she leaves. No goodbye. No explanation. She moves on. Except he doesn't. Carson-which was not the name he told her-can't stop thinking about the woman who slipped through his fingers. He's drawn to her in a way that has nothing to do with attraction and everything to do with connection. He texts. He calls. He shows up. He wants more. Sydney wants distance. Then she sees a headline. A photo. A name she doesn't recognize-until she does. Carson Beck. The biggest, hottest quarterback in the NFL. A notorious playboy with a reputation for chewing through women and walking away without a second glance. The realization hits hard: she didn't just sleep with a stranger-she slept with him. Now she's caught between panic and disbelief. Because the man she spent the night with doesn't match the one splashed across every sports page. And despite his reputation, Carson is still chasing her like she's the only woman who exists. She knows better than to fall for a quarterback who lives under stadium lights and headlines. But Carson Beck has never wanted anything the way he wants Sydney Hale. And this time, he refuses to fumble her twice.

After witnessing a violent death, Cassidy feels an inexplicable pull toward the masked killer. She should be terrified. Especially when he starts spying on her. But even more so, when he begins creeping into her bedroom each night... Highest #1 in ALL categories - Dark Romance, Obsession, Killer, Stalker, Twisted Romance, Secret Relationship, Innocence, Morally Grey, Mask, Thriller Romance, and Secret Killer.

He didn't break her all at once. He taught her how to shatter herself. To everyone watching, she has the life girls dream of : money, beauty, a powerful husband, and a marriage wrapped in perfection. But behind their locked doors, perfection is the punishment she can never escape. He tells her who to be. He tells her how to walk, how to breathe, how to think. Every mistake is a lesson. Every bruise is a reminder. Every betrayal is somehow her fault. And she believes him. Because after years of being molded, corrected, and rewritten, she no longer remembers who she was before he decided to "fix" her. She only knows the rules he carved into her bones. Don't speak too loudly. Don't ask questions. Don't look at him when he's angry. Don't look away when he wants your attention. And above all Don't ever forget that love is earned, not given. Her sister whispers that she's losing herself. Her friends say they're worried. Her subconscious screams that something is wrong. But she silences all of them. Because she is so close so close to becoming the perfect wife, he swears she could be if she tries a little harder. And if she can be perfect... Maybe he'll finally love her. Or maybe perfection is the very thing that will destroy her. *This story depicts domestic and emotional abuse. These scenes are fictional and not meant to glorify or romanticize abuse. If you are in a harmful or unsafe situation, please reach out for help: 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) thehotline.org You deserve safety.

She gave up her career, her dreams, and everything she was.. for a love that promised forever. But forever was a lie. When the truth shatters her perfect world, Amara is left with nothing. No husband. No job. Not even the son she gave up everything to raise. Everyone thinks she's broken. But they forgot one thing. You can't bury a woman who remembers who she is. And in the end... he may have walked away, but she's the one who survived. Trigger Warning: This story dives deep into grief, heartbreak, and the raw, unfiltered emotions that come with loss. Because healing is never a straight line.

Copyright © 2025 by Bookish Dae When sweet florist Saskia discovers her biker boyfriend, Atlas, had sex with a club girl and called it an "audition", a brutal MC tradition he considered just business. Her perfect world shatters. Now, the ruthless Titan president must burn his kingdom to the ground and wage the hardest war of his life: a relentless campaign of gut wrenching groveling to win back the one woman he never should have lost.