ᵗᵃʰᵃᵃᵈ ᵖᵉᵗᵗⁱᶠᵒʳᵈ ᶠⁱᶜ ت

imani carter and malik rivers grew up on the same block in englewood, where summers were loud, love was simple, and survival came second to loyalty. they were kids raised around cracked sidewalks and open hydrants, by neighbors who watched from doorways and streets that taught lessons too early. malik was like imani's protector, her constant, her almost-everything. until one violent night shattered everything they knew. told through shifting first-person povs, dead ends explores love shaped by survival, memory warped by trauma, and the thin line between protection and possession. as secrets unravel and the past refuses to stay buried, imani and malik are forced to face what really happened, who lied, and whether love is worth the cost it keeps demanding. but love don't always save you. sometimes it traps you at a dead end.