Nova can't escape the rich town of Riverside, where a tragedy follows her every step, but she can work to uncover who's been lying to her all these years. ***** When seventeen-year-old Nova Nightingale returns to her late mother's hometown the last thing she expects is to be public enemy number one, but the rumors surrounding her mother's sudden disappearance fifteen years earlier follow Nova everywhere she goes. And to top it all off, the local rich boy, Isaac Royal, is adamant about making her life hell. Surrounded by rumors, lies, and a secret keeping the town on edge, Nova has to figure out why she's hated and why the boy hell-bent on making her suffer seems to be the only person she can trust. Content/Triggering Warning: this story contains themes of suicide and violence [[word count: 80,000-90,000 words]]

Eight Years Ago "Mom.." I say with a small smile on my face. My sister had passed her first music lesson and we're all so proud of her. "What is it Layla!? can't you see I'm busy?!" She snaps. "Oh.." I say, my smile faltering slightly, as I watch mom cuddle Heidi and give her lots of sweets as reward. "C-can I have a sweetie too?" I ask. Mom laughs coldly. "Why should you? You've never achieved anything, have you?! Lazy little brat." Heidi giggles and I look at her to see a smirk on her face, making my face fall. I watch mom whisper things to Heidi, making her giggle even more. The door swings open, and my dad walks in. I smile again, running to him and hug his knees but he just brushes me off with an annoyed expression, walking towards my mom hugging her and ruffling Heidi's hair. What's going on? "Dad..ruffle my hair too?" I ask hesitantly. All three of them burst out laughing and I sink down in embarassment. "Layla, we always knew you weren't the brightest kid here." He laughs "I just knew you'd be a screw up, right Luise?" He says and she nods. "And I was right. You're a failure" He grabs my maths sheet, crumples it up and throws it at me. "You spend way too much time with your 'friends' never on your education, you ungrateful little brat. We should've got rid of you as soon as we found out you were on the way." He spits out spitefully as my mum nods, still smirking. "Dad I'll do better, I promise!" I sob, tears streaming down my face, but he shakes his head, smirking. I look at my sister and walk towards her giving her a watery smile. "H-Heidi... we're still friends right?" I ask, desperately. Her smirk slowly vanishes. she leans forward and I thought she'd hug me, but instead she pulls my hair and pushes me onto the floor making me scream. She laughs, my parents joining her. "Stupid" she hisses, kicking me, before going to my parents, all of them walking out, leaving me on the floor, crying my eyes out. What have I done to deserve this?

Reegan, a 16 year old girl is struggling to deal with a mother who turned abusive shortly after her younger brother, Ben, died from leukaemia. Her dad walked out on them and she never really knew her grandparents, let alone how to contact them. At school, she is picked on because of the clothes she wears to cover the bruises. With no-one to turn to, Reegan deals with her pain by turning to self-harm. But her life is about to be turned upside down by the arrival of a cute new boy determined to save her from her bullies. Like her long dead brother, his name is also Ben, causing her to wonder if Guardian Angels really do exist. His arrival in her life will shake her faith in what she's always taken for granted and change her whole perspective of the world

Jaxon has had a rough couple of years, though she copes with it well on her own. She lost both her parents and is stuck with and abusive stepfather. But when a certain boy implants himself into her daily routine and life, she has to decide to let him into her heart and have him help her heal, or will she turn him away and stay closed up forever?

• completed • She was just the silent girl, the girl with a broken past, the girl who was too naive and too innocent, but to him she was his world. #227 in Romance. 30/12/2017.