April I fight fires for a living-but I've never felt more burned than I did that night. As a forest ranger, I live on the edge of danger and calm. My body is strong, my will even stronger, but that doesn't mean I'm unbreakable. I thought love-real love-would see through the scars I keep hidden beneath my uniform. I thought Ellis saw me. Understood me. But all it took was one careless sentence. One drunken confession echoing through a baby monitor, turning a celebration into a battlefield. He humiliated me in front of everyone-my friends, my chosen sisters, myself. And now I'm standing in the ashes of something I thought would last forever, wondering if I've been lying to myself about what love really looks like. Ellis I was drunk. Stupid. Thoughtless. It was just a conversation. Boys being boys, joking around in a room where I thought no one could hear. But they did. She did. And I said things I can't take back. I don't even recognize the man who said them-because that man humiliated the strongest, most loyal, most incredible woman he's ever known. April is the kind of woman who runs toward danger. Who holds broken branches like they're bones and brings people back from the edge. And I crushed her with words. Now I'd do anything-everything-to take it back. But the damage is done. And I'm not sure I deserve to be the one who tries to fix it.

The Odd Ones A group of friends, each with a name that stood out like a whispered secret, each carrying a story both beautiful and heartbreaking. December I was always the good girl-the straight-A student, the responsible teacher, the model citizen. I did everything right, yet I never felt enough. My reflection was my greatest enemy, my weight a constant battle. Compliments meant nothing when I couldn't believe them myself. Then I met Rider. He was my coach, a force of nature wrapped in quiet confidence. His encouragement wasn't just about the gym-it seeped into my bones, into the way I saw myself. He made me feel like I was more than just my insecurities. And then... he made me feel loved. But love came with secrets. Ours had to stay hidden for the sake of his job-or so he said. I accepted it, held onto the stolen moments, the whispered promises. Until one night, I overheard him. And my world crumbled.

February I thought we had something real-me and Arlo. We moved fast, but it felt right. We laughed, raced motorcycles, shared silence like it was sacred. I believed him when he said he wasn't the romantic type. I believed I was enough. Then he crashed, and while he was healing, I found the letters. Not for me. For her-Lyra, the girl who broke his heart. And suddenly, everything shifted. Every kiss, every quiet moment, every almost-I-love-you.