“You’re making a huge mistake,” I whispered, my words cracked, crumbling at the seams like I was inside. He looked up at me, those bright, emerald irises danced with everything that I never was. “Maybe,” he shrugged. The words and the decision seemed to come easily for him. It was then that I realised that it was because he was normal. He’d done this so many times. “Or maybe,” he took my hands in his. They felt big as they enveloped my own; his touch foreign. “It could be the best decision of our lives.” - Love is overrated. Crying is overrated. Life is overrated. This is because Annabelle Salter is a simple girl. She doesn’t need these complications that are love, weakness, and opportunity. She’s a simple girl with a not so simple past. She had her life planned out: She was sticking it out with her mother in adoption – Ariel – in a small unheard of town in England until she turns nineteen. Home-schooled, quiet, reserved and having spent the majority of her childhood isolated from the reality that is danger, socialization and people, she isn’t prepared for the very complicated idea that comes crashing into her well thought out and organised life. After an anonymous phone call to her house in England, she receives news that she’s to travel to New England, America, over Christmas. It’s only law for things to go wrong when an eighteen year old girl who has no idea how to handle life, and mostly, people; gets thrown into working in a mansion containing masses of celebrities all battling it out for ignorant television. She’s just trying to survive her time there. Little did she think the thing she doubted the most, would get in the way.

✓ {needs editing. my apologies} "Don't fall in love with me... I'm too damaged for you" This is no kind of fairytale. She was just too troubled to even look like a princess. Her past changed her completely, and since then, she's been living in her own world, trying to ignore everyone's opinion about how she should live her life. The few people left who really cared about her had to get used to her rebel behavior and the way she always seemed to be in danger. But then there's this guy, who forcedly comes into her life, and tries to find out her deepest secrets, those things she didn't even dare to admit to herself. When she's already taken, and with a whole reason to be who she is, will she be able to forget about everything to give into his love? And will he handle the damaged girl he fell in love with?

Watty Awards 2013 Winner! {book 3} ✓ - ❝ The moment I lost my mum things changed. I changed. I realised that no one stays forever, everyone leaves at some point, whether is willingly or not, and you're left alone, broken on the floor. I won't go through that again. I won't give people the chance to break me like that again. I'll protect myself. I'm raising up my walls, higher than anyone has ever seen. I'll be safe. ❞