I can't recall when I had become infatuated with you. I can't recall much of anything that year. It was more or less like one huge blur to me, honestly. But when I look at your picture now, I remember the moments of us. When you would communicate with me when Riley had you over. Or shared your thoughts with me when you had no one else, and Riley was out of town. It was the littlest things you did, Kris, that made me become madly in love with you. Even just hearing your laugh made me feel things unspeakable. I don't exactly remember the moment I had fallen in-love with you, but thinking back on it now, it was the most beautiful feeling I had ever felt. Loving you seemed to come so easily to me. I knew, deep down within the darkest crevices of my soul, that you were meant to have been mine. You were everything I wanted. Everything I yearned for. Loving you was like second nature, so simple, but yet so hard, because you weren't of age yet, and I was 23. Damn it, Kris, how I wish you would have been older.

Take one accident prone boy and one witty girl, put them in a crappy apartment with a scary landlord and make them meet each other naked in the shower. Now let the chaos ensue.

Tessa Young is an 18 year old college student with a simple life, excellent grades, and a sweet boyfriend. She always has things planned out ahead of time, until she meets a rude boy named Hardin, with too many tattoos and piercings who shatters her plans.

He never knew life could be this way, but truly if he did, he wouldn't have cared. He cared about nothing, not even himself until her. Before her, he was empty/ Before her he knew nothing of joy or completion, and this is his journey to his life After her.

This is the sequel (continuation) of After. Hardin and Tessa's relationship will be tested in ways she never expected, but he knew of all along.

The passionate story of Tessa and Hardin continues as family secrets, deep betrayals, and career opportunities threaten to tear them apart.

There was just something about him. *sexual content if you cannot handle please do not read*

DISCLAIMER: This story was written in late 2012. I wrote Strings Attached as an adolescent with no idea how a healthy, adult relationship should function. This story is dark and twisted in a way that my teen mind couldn't comprehend at the time. There are more than a few scenes in this book with sensitive content. I--in no way--support rape culture and I do not condone my character's actions. However, as I said, this story was written in an ignorant state of mind. I will not remove this story from Wattpad. It is part of my past and though I am disappointed with the content, it shows how far I've come not just as an author but as a free-thinking adult. Thank you for reading. **Excerpt** "Say... it," She gasped, throwing her head back, cupping my face in her hands so that I was forced to meet her gaze. "You're mine." She held my gaze for a second more, before crushing her lips against my own, arms wrapping tight around my neck, pulling me down to her level. Arms sliding easily around her, she wrapped her legs around me as I lifted her up, lips traveling over her chest and collarbone. She moaned as my hands dug into her tender flesh, pulling on it, their violence a stark contrast to the gentle kisses teasing their way up her neck. Bright lines marked the paths that my nails had etched into her skin, marking her, beautiful red tattoos, spreading out over her entire body. Her small hands knotted in my hair, pulling harder and harder as she fought the urge to cry out...