[BOOK TWO] in which the girl who lost it all reunites with the boy who took it all away from her. cover by @thirstymalfoy

in which the boy who had no choice meets the girl who's tasked to find out why. cover by @thirstymalfoy HIGHEST RANKING: #1 in draco malfoy

When Franny learns why former popular boy Tyler fell from grace, she gets thrown head-first into his dangerous world but also closer to his timid heart. ***** Eighteen-year-old Tyler Madden used to have everything. He was captain of the football team, popular, high achiever, and was set to have a successful career. But when a secret too hard to handle comes to light, he turns to underground fighting to deal with the pain. Now, he's in too deep. And when Francesca Howard befriends him at school in the hopes of figuring out what went wrong, she unknowingly gets pulled into the criminal world he's now stuck in. As the two find comfort in each other, they find themselves faced with their impending future and trying to get Tyler out alive. Content/Trigger Warning: this story contains scenes pertaining to drug use, substance abuse, and violence. [#1 in teen fiction, romance and action]

„Vždy som ho chcela spoznať. Toho mladíka s minulosťou a bez budúcnosti. Nežijúceho ani v prítomnosti, len v tichu zavretých úst uväzneného v prázdnote svojej mysle. Toho s melancholicky modrými očami a smutným pohľadom padnutých viečok, perami vykrojenými samotnou beznádejou osudu a kútikmi, ktoré úsmev nepoznajú. Toho s dlhými prstami klaviristu a nehou básnika, ktorý s citom vyberá jemné slová zakrývajúce tvrdú pravdu myšlienok, ktoré sa v nich skrývajú. Toho s vlasmi čiernymi ako noc sama, pramene ktorých mu neposlušne odstávajú, a tie nepokojné prsty ich vždy len viac rozstrapatia. Toho, ktorý s každým ľahostajným vyfúknutím dymu z cigarety nechá odísť ďalší kúsok svojej zomierajúcej duše..." ***** „Prajem si, aby existovalo. To dievča uväznené za neviditeľnými mrežami vlastnej mysle. Dievča hľadiace na svet s vyhasnutými iskrami v očiach, hnedých ako odumreté listy jesene. To, ktorému nežný vánok odveje vlasy z tváre, ktorú skrýva pred svetom, aby malo viac priestoru vidieť ten svoj. To, ktoré si nevyberá sluchátka z uší, aby mohlo prehlušiť šepkajúce hlasy v jej hlave. Dievča s bledými prstami, ktorými prechádza po papieri, na ktorý vždy vypisovala svoje myšlienky... a ktorý je už nejaký čas rovnako prázdny ako ona. To dievča, skrývajúce sa pod nadmerne veľkými mikinami a za parou vychádzajúcou z horúceho hrnčeka čaju. Skrývajúce sa v ich pohodlí pred nepohodlím sveta. To, ktoré chcelo tak veľmi žiť, až to zavraždilo jej dušu..." ***** Chceli sa spoznať a spoznali sa. A ako to dopadlo... to je už ich príbeh.

Mina Gilbertová si chce během svého posledního roku na střední škole našetřit na studium na univerzitě. Ačkoliv v ní láska k dětem nijak nevykvetla, nezbývá jí nic jiného, než si přivydělávat jejich hlídáním. To jí přivede do domu Chambersových, kde kromě pětiletého Chucka žije i devatenáctiletý Ethan. Mina se musí vypořádat nejen s uličnickým předškolákem, ale i věčně sarkastickým Ethanem, kterého také vnímá jako chodící klišé. Problémový introvertní maturant, kterého nezajímá nic jiného než on sám. Jenže co když ho Mina začne vídat i na chodbách školy, kde studuje? A co se skrývá pod obvykle vážnou maskou Ethana?

Je jej únoscom, no zároveň jediným, kto ju smie chrániť. „V každom ryse jej tváre som nachádzal tisíc podobností s človekom, ktorého by som dokázal dobiť holými rukami. Spôsobom, akým sa dívala, hovorila, či hýbala, mi ho pripomínala tak vtieravo, že som jej mal chvíľami chuť urobiť to, čo by som bez váhania spravil jemu. No ona, nech bola vinnou, nech bola jeho krvou alebo najhorším zlom, v prvom rade bola ženou. Bola až príliš mladá. Dnes som voči nej nevystupoval ako ten silnejší. Nezažil som pocit víťazstva ani moci, necítil som, že nad ňou získavam prevahu. Mal som pred očami náš cieľ, z duše sa mi ale protivil strach v jej tvári. Chcel som jej prikázať, nech sa na mňa nedíva, ale bez pocitu, že som slaboch." Zviazaná svetom, ktorý dávno prestal dávať zmysel, našla v jeho očiach záchranu. Zverila mu lásku.

When River crosses paths with a man who speaks to every hidden hunger inside her, their connection spirals into an all-consuming pull neither of them can resist-but is she Grayson's salvation... or his ruin? *** Everyone in River Avelle's hometown knows about Grayson Maddox-the troubled bad boy who almost killed another student in the middle of the school hallway. Those who look into Grayson's eyes only see pure fury and hatred. They all think he's beyond redemption, even Grayson himself. But not River. As the seemingly perfect good girl, River saw something more in those alluring grey eyes. Something worth holding onto. From the first time their eyes connect, both Grayson and River feel the intense, undeniable attraction between them...but neither of them understand what's pulling them together so fiercely. The closer they get and the more vulnerable they become, River has to wonder: is she saving Grayson from his darkness? Or is she just pulling him further into hers? *** He tips my head toward his with his index finger, keeping my eyes trained on him and driving me crazy with the primal look on his face. His grey eyes look heavy, filled with dark desire, and a shock runs up through my core. Everything around us disappears and all I can sense is him and the hardness pressing between my legs. "What are you doing to me, River?" he whispers, his voice raspy and utterly captivated. His face is lowering and I'm closing my eyes, waiting for soft lips to press against mine. My whole body is on fire as I hold my breath for his touch. *** Cover by @strayin

|| 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