When Helena finds a phone on the night train, she decides to text the first number in the list of contacts in order to figure out who it belongs to. ***** Helena Santos hasn't had the easiest life. At twenty-one, she's the legal guardian of her teenage sister, in the final year of her nursing degree, and working night shifts at her small-town's local bar. And things get a lot more complicated when she finds a phone on the train home and decides to text the first number in the list of contacts, in hopes of tracking down its owner. That contact? Adam Bauer; the charismatic, sweet, and refreshingly honest older brother of the person who lost their phone. As the two continue talking, they can't ignore the chemistry and growing feelings between them, but life is never that simple. To make things work, Helena and Adam need to juggle a troubled sister, a meddlesome ex-boyfriend, and one fat lawsuit - all intent on keeping them apart. [[word count: 40,000-50,000 words]] Content and/or Trigger Warning: This story contains swearing, mature themes, and sexual content.

In which a girl can't go a day without an anxiety attack and a boy can't go a day without noticing

I feel my lungs caving in, the muscles in my legs coming to a shuddering halt. Sobbing uncontrollably, struggling to breathe, I collapse into a heap on the wet ground. It's useless. It's completely hopeless. There's no point running anymore. There's never been any point. Because no matter how fast I run, no matter how far I crawl, no matter how loud I scream for help, he will find me. He always does. This is a glimpse into what it's like to be destroyed; to watch everything you've ever loved ripped away in a blink of an eye. You're not safe. You're all alone, and nothing can save you now. [#55 in Horror 16/07/15] Cover credit: XHEMMINGSHUGSX