Anna Stone has heard the warning her entire life: never fall in love with your best friend. It's a rule woven into stories and passed down like quiet wisdom; because once the line is crossed, there's no way back. Anna never imagined she would be tempted to test it. Not until Taylor Hunt falls into her lap. Taylor enters her life without force or spectacle, connecting with Anna immediately. Taylor radiates light and kindness. From the beginning, their bond is effortless-rooted in laughter, late-night conversations, and a closeness that feels both safe and dangerous. With Taylor, Anna finds herself unraveling in ways she never has before. She shares the parts of herself she's learned to keep buried: the fears, the grief, the darkness she doesn't fully understand. Still, he stays. Loving him feels inevitable. Almost natural. How could something so right possibly be wrong? As friendship gives way to something deeper, Anna convinces herself that their connection is strong enough to withstand the risk. She believes love will be enough-that the past won't reach for her, that the cracks inside her won't widen under the weight of intimacy. But unhealed wounds have a way of resurfacing, and when they do, they rarely arrive gently. But what happens when the unhealed darkness in Anna sinks in and begins to pour out over Taylor? What happens when Anna inadvertently destroys their relationship? What happens when Taylor finally has enough? As Anna's inner darkness begins to spill into their relationship, the love she once found refuge in becomes fragile. The more Taylor gives, the more strained they become, until the question is no longer whether love exists-but whether it can survive the damage left unspoken. Will Anna be able to heal and mend their relationship? Or will the two of them part ways forever, leaving Anna to forever regret what happened between them? TRIGGER WARNING: Self-Harm

CRIMINAL MINDS FANFICTION .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. "I'm coiled up like a venomous serpent, tangled in your trance and I'm certain you have got your hooks in me... And just like the rain, you cast the dust into nothing." - Rain by Sleep Token .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. Haunted by the ghost of trauma after working for ViCAP, the reader is transferred to a new unit in the FBI with hopes of moving forward and never looking back. However, the reader refuses to confront her trauma, leaving her in a whirlwind of pain that she can never seem to get rid of. After meeting a certain genius in the BAU, the reader starts to realize she has feelings for him. Dr. Spencer Reid seems to wash away every painful memory and feeling when he is near, but the reader won't let herself get close to anyone in fear of the past repeating itself. Will the reader be able to stumble through the storm of pain, grief, and guilt to finally heal so that she can focus on building her own happy ending? Or will she continue building walls around herself in hopes of staying safe, yet keeping everyone that she loves out? .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. Criminal Minds: Seasons 8+ (show spoilers warning) I do not own any Criminal Minds content. This story may not follow the show's exact storyline and other character appearances/experiences. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. MATURE || 18+ || TRIGGER WARNINGS: Trauma/PTSD, Death, Grief, Gun Violence, General Violence, Violence Against Women, Crime, Murder, Crime Scene Descriptions, Law Enforcement Violence, Drug and Alcohol Usage, Sexual Content