When Everly Reed collides with the cynical and devilishly handsome Mason Valdez, she knows trouble is ahead, but she never could have guessed how much she would be drawn to the storm. ***** Nineteen-year-old Ever Reed likes when things make sense. Which is probably why she excels at math, enough to secure her a spot at an Ivy League school out of state. Sheltered by her mother and older brother Asher for most of her life, Ever hasn't experienced much of the world, but she knows New York will be an adventure. Enter Mason Valdez: cynical, arrogant, and undeniably attractive-exactly what Ever doesn't need. But as their paths keep crossing, Ever finds herself intrigued by Mason, and eager to know the boy behind the bitter mask. As secrets, scars, and painful pasts rise to the surface, Ever knows one thing for sure: they can only make it through if they face their storms together. [[word count: 150,000 - 200,000]] Cover designed by Frances Louise De Ramos Spinoff to The Hoodie Girl Book One of the A Thousand Storms series [[The Fiction Awards 2018 Best Overall Story and Best Romance Winner]] Content/trigger warning: This story mentions sexual assault and childhood abuse

Petrecea atâta vreme în faţa geamului. Privind... aşteptând... Privind ploaia şi aşteptând să o spele de toate urmele unui trecut nedemn de amintiri... la fel cum spăla geamul de firişoarele de praf. Aştepta să i se vindece rănile - văzute şi nevăzute - aştepta să i se spele greşelile. Stătea la geam aşteptând să vadă ceva diferit. Privea la cuplurile ce se plimbau mână în mână pe sub geamul ei, sărutandu-se, vedea copiii râzând, florile crescând, dar niciun un bărbat nu se uita înapoi la ea şi să-i zâmbească. Ea aştepta la geam. Dar pe ea n-o aştepta nimeni. Nu la geam, căci el o aştepta la uşă. În faţa uşii cu numărul 114.