She knows how to survive. Trusting him is the dangerous part. Charlotte has spent years perfecting the art of staying hidden. Smart, observant, and careful, she keeps her world small and her heart even smaller. Christian is her best friend's older brother - the kind of guy people warn you about... and the kind you fall for anyway. For most of her life, she was background noise to him until one unexpected moment changes everything. The tension between them is unmistakable - but so are the secrets she keeps carefully hidden. Christian can't ignore the things that set her apart - her sharp wit, her unexpected humor, the quiet strength beneath her reserved exterior. She isn't like the girls who drift in and out of his world. She's thoughtful. Mysterious. Surprising in ways he never saw coming. And the closer he gets, Christian realizes her guarded nature isn't accidental. She's protecting something - and earning her trust won't come easily. For the first time, this isn't about the chase. It's about earning a place inside the walls she built to survive. AN EMOTIONAL NEW ADULT ROMANCE about love, healing, and learning to TRUST AGAIN.

(First book of the series - cos people keep on missing my sequel announcement 😭) Cassandra Johnson is Pixie. Pixie is Cassandra Johnson. She's the same girl who's leading two extremely different lives. Nobody would suspect the school's nerd as Pixie. 'Cause Pixie's a street fighter badass and the nerd does not have a single badass bone in her body. The chances of people discovering this peculiar secret is close to none but of course this is where fate inserts the certified new boy into the equation and makes an exception for him. Warning: heavy flow of profanities ahead. - and tears - or so I've heard.