𝐈𝐍 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐂𝐇, Malachi Daniel Barton finally finds himself in a relationship with his childhood crush, and Freya Skye Jones doesn't know how to process it. 𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐍 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐂𝐇, Malachi finds himself yearning for someone who is in the past, or, allow me to rephrase that, someone who is 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘵 to be in the past. started writing : 1st of November 2025 finished writing: 16th of January 2026 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐑: This book contains smut and other mature content and both characters are legal consenting adults in this book.

𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘: Freya Skye Jones has one objective this summer: project supermodel. She wants to be undeniably gorgeous by the end of summer for her debut as an upperclassman. Her one obstacle: Malachi Daniel Barton. Her neighbor, and best friend since childhood. Nothing has ever been weird between them, they've always been close, and she sees him like a sibling. That was until this summer. Suddenly he's acting weird, and Freya can't seem to catch her breath around him. Between her epiphany, and his persistence, surviving this summer seems impossible.

𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘: Freya Skye Jones has made her previous burden an unexpected lover. Malachi Barton has gone from her irritating next door neighbor to an admirable boyfriend in just one summer. However, dating her previous best friend comes with its issues. Her popularity is rising exponentially, and his senior year is proving to be more stressful than expected. Balancing her relationship and perfection seems impossible, but no problem is too big when they have love...right?

𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐘𝐀 𝐒𝐊𝐘𝐄 has always been used to running alone. Volleyball captain, track star, and the kind of girl everyone admires from afar, she thrives on control-both on the court and on the track. But at home, her parents' wealth can't mask the cold, suffocating cruelty that defines her every day. She's learned early that no one will show up for her... and that's exactly how she likes it. 𝐌𝐀𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐈 𝐁𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐎𝐍 has the opposite problem: everyone shows up. Football star, track sprinter, and all-around golden boy, he's surrounded by friends, family, and a little sister who worships him. He's used to support, praise, and having people rely on him. Life has always been... easier. They're both popular, in the same tight-knit friend group, and everyone expects them to get along. But Freya and Malachi don't. They clash at every practice, tease each other relentlessly, and can't seem to sit still in the same room without tension sparking between them. What happens when the girl who's learned to survive on her own meets the boy who can't stop trying to protect her? When rivalry becomes something more, and shared spaces-late-night practices, team hangouts, and races that leave them both breathless-force them to confront what they're really running toward... and from? A slow-burn, rivals-to-lovers story about resilience, family, and the courage it takes to finally let someone in. #1 field (08/02/26) #4 freyaskye (08/02/26)