BOOK ONE Coming out was supposed to set Julian free. Instead, it left him with a broken arm, a mother who won't stop preaching, and a silence that grows heavier every day. High school feels like a cage, and Julian is certain he doesn't belong anywhere-until Paul crashes into his world. With his inked skin, effortless charm, and a following that makes him untouchable, Paul should be the last person Julian lets close. But in Paul's arms, Julian feels something he's never known before: safe. As their connection deepens, so does the danger. Loving Paul means risking exposure, rejection, and heartbreak all over again. Worse, it means facing the cruelest voice of all-the one inside Julian's own head. Tender, raw, and unflinching, Open is a story about first love, first heartbreak, and finding the courage to believe you're worthy of both. ::: I could feel it when his body finally went slack, when he'd fallen asleep and soft snores emitted. And I thought I was getting better at this breaking down thing... I honestly did but when I was alone, I seemed to fall apart. Endless serenades of how worthless I'd been and how destructive I was; I was a disappointment to literally everyone and I hated it. My breathing became shallow as I cried for the second time that day, finally feeling content being immersed in guilt. A shudder wracked through my body, tears escaping and Paul pulled me closer as he woke silently. Mumbling soft nothings against my skin and kissing it to slow my breathing, he tried to lull me to sleep, "It's okay, you're okay." Refusing to speak -my voice failing me- his arm came up to wrap around my shoulder and I held him there, placing a small kiss to his tattooed skin in a broken sign of gratitude, I must've run out of tears. And I felt at ease.

BOOK TWO On the outside, Julian Douglas has everything: college athlete, good grades, friends who think he's unstoppable. But inside, he's unraveling. And the one person who ever made him feel whole-the boy he loved and lost-is the one person he can't let go of. Paul Jones is brilliant, beautiful, and broken. His art reaches millions, but behind the screens and gallery walls, he's drowning in silence, addiction, and a love that still lingers. When Julian and Paul collide again, old wounds resurface, old habits threaten to consume them, and both must decide if love is enough to heal what life has shattered. Heartbreaking, intimate, and unflinching, Alone explores the raw edges of mental illness, addiction, and the desperate, dangerous hope of holding onto someone who feels like home. : : : "I'm your boyfriend, Jules." He looked so sad then, so completely vulnerable and it was my fault. It was all my fault and I didn't notice until it was too late. "Do you forget that?" Maybe I did. Maybe I thought ignoring him would stop these feelings from surfacing, that missing him wouldn't take over if I never thought of him. And Paul had sighed, his hands coming up to wipe the few tears that hadn't fallen. His cheeks were flushed, he'd done enough crying for the day, and his hair was all over the place from his frustrated tugging. We'd both looked rough but seeing him just as a mess as I was... it made my heart hurt. So did his next words and I knew he'd already given up. "Do you wanna be with me or do you just not wanna be alone?"

"Your name is Kenneth Kentucky and you work at McDonalds?" I glared at him, "Would you like Fries with that?" He began laughing hysterically and I sighed impatiently, waiting for him to stop. Suddenly, he stopped and then, putting both his hands on the counter, staring right into my eyes, he whispered, "I'd like Fries with you." My eyes widened as it slowly registered that Golden Boy McHarden had just openly flirted with me.