Katie Holmes is a caffeine addict. Between college, and taking care of her brother, it's acceptable. Though, it doesn't help that the cafe down the street is full of handsome baristas, including one William Cerak in particular who has a mysterious scar on his wrist. Synopses will be the death of my publishing career.

He lit his cigarette, I lit nothing. He drank alcohol, I drank water. He smirked, I smiled. He didn't love me, I didn't love him. He and I together wouldn't last a day. And then the game started... He said he found me intriguing, unique, and interesting because I didn't swoon over him. "You and me Grey, let's play a game. We'll date and in three months time I promise you will fall for me. When you fall in love with me between that time span, I win. If in any way you were to win I'll give up all the alcohol, cigarettes, and player ways." It was a game I wasn't willing to lose, but all games had accidents and consequences. It takes a broken heart to know how to break a heart.

"The only thing in life we need to hold on is each other."

****** CAN BE READ AS STAND-ALONE ****** Seven years have passed since their world shattered. Sophie Esinberg harbors a deep-seated resentment toward Raymond Reynolds. He abandoned her, leaving behind a trail of loneliness and regret. Sophie berates herself for her naivety, for succumbing to Raymond's charm and false façade. But most of all, she loathes herself for clinging to the remnants of a love that once felt pure and untouchable, despite knowing it was built on fragile ground. In the dance of fate, Raymond unexpectedly crosses paths with Sophie at an Award Function, seven long years after he broke the heart of the only girl he loved. Can Sophie find the courage to let him back into her heart? Will Raymond reveal the long-buried secret that has haunted them both? Amidst the twists of time and the ache of unresolved feelings, they are inexorably drawn back to each other. Despite their attempts to move on, the pull of their shared past proves stronger than ever. For Sophie and Raymond, navigating love means confronting their deepest fears and confronting the truths that have kept them apart for so long. ********