BOOK ONE Coming out was supposed to set Julian free. Instead, it left him with a broken arm, a mother who won't stop preaching, and a silence that grows heavier every day. High school feels like a cage, and Julian is certain he doesn't belong anywhere-until Paul crashes into his world. With his inked skin, effortless charm, and a following that makes him untouchable, Paul should be the last person Julian lets close. But in Paul's arms, Julian feels something he's never known before: safe. As their connection deepens, so does the danger. Loving Paul means risking exposure, rejection, and heartbreak all over again. Worse, it means facing the cruelest voice of all-the one inside Julian's own head. Tender, raw, and unflinching, Open is a story about first love, first heartbreak, and finding the courage to believe you're worthy of both. ::: I could feel it when his body finally went slack, when he'd fallen asleep and soft snores emitted. And I thought I was getting better at this breaking down thing... I honestly did but when I was alone, I seemed to fall apart. Endless serenades of how worthless I'd been and how destructive I was; I was a disappointment to literally everyone and I hated it. My breathing became shallow as I cried for the second time that day, finally feeling content being immersed in guilt. A shudder wracked through my body, tears escaping and Paul pulled me closer as he woke silently. Mumbling soft nothings against my skin and kissing it to slow my breathing, he tried to lull me to sleep, "It's okay, you're okay." Refusing to speak -my voice failing me- his arm came up to wrap around my shoulder and I held him there, placing a small kiss to his tattooed skin in a broken sign of gratitude, I must've run out of tears. And I felt at ease.

#1 Teen Fiction | #1 Young Adult | #1 Romance "We all need someone to drive us mad." - The Wombats. He stared arrogantly down at me, a smirk plastered across his face. I sneered up at him with distaste, wanting to wrap my fingers around his neck and strangle that smirk off of him. He brushed my golden hair from my face, his long, slender fingers sparking electricity in my skin, making my knees wobble together. "Will you ever, forgive me?" he whispered huskily, his eyes intently staring into mine. His face was only mere inches from me. I just needed to reach out a little further to kiss him... "Yeah. Over my dead body." I snapped, before throwing my arms out forcefully, shoving my hands into his chest, pushing him from me. -*-*-*- He, is Carter Williams. I, am Lacey Adams. We were once, inseparable. The 'Golden Couple'. The unbreakable best friends, that everybody envied. Nothing could get between us. A part from being tighter than white on rice, we updated our status from friends to being in a relationship, frequently. We were neighbours, which meant our families were all close and even co-owned houses around our town. This, all is, until the day of my sixteenth birthday. Everything changed. The loving relationship we shared, was severed and torn apart. I couldn't hardly stand to look at him any more, without spitting fire that is. Every day is torture being around him. He was in all my classes at school and the window in my room was even directly aligned with his. So, what happens? My mother's mum gets sick, so dad and her fly out. Just them. Leaving me to stay with Carter and his parents, who are never home. We would be alone. In one house. Under the same roof. If I was insane before, I have no idea what I am now. © 2016 by LaurenJ22. All rights reserved.