Mariah Jade Grey is 21 years old, freshly graduated, and trying to figure out what comes next. She's stylish, sarcastic, and guarded- always has been. After losing more than she ever talks about, she's learned not to get too close. Love doesn't stay. People don't stay. So she keeps herself safe: with ambition, independence, and the quiet ache of something missing. Kyra Reyes is 30 years old, the kind of woman with a camera in one hand and someone new on her arm- easy, unattached, free. Nothing ever sticks: not the girls she leaves tangled in her sheets, not the art that never quite feels finished, not the whispers about her being a player. But when it comes to Mariah, everything sticks. Every glance. Every laugh. Every moment that isn't supposed to mean anything, but somehow means everything. As their best friends build new lives and the city around them quiets down, Mariah and Kyra find themselves circling each other, drawn together by late nights, unspoken truths, and the weight of everything they won't say out loud. It's there in the way Kyra looks at her. It's there in the way Mariah never quite lets her go. And when the silence finally breaks, it changes everything. What they have isn't just friendship. But it isn't love. Not yet. Maybe not ever. Almost. But is almost ever enough?

Amara Alonso is 22 years old and is in her final year studying English literature at NYU. She's smart, kind and gentle, she always has been. But she carries a quiet sadness that most don't see. After losing her mother and sister in a tragic car accident 8 months ago, she was left with an alcoholic father who she blames for their death. She promises herself to push through her last year of college but soon falls into a cycle- skipping classes, tear-stained eyes, and an empty stomach. Emilia Zayed is a 29 year old creative writing professor. Emilia is poised, intelligent and emotionally guarded. She keeps everyone at arm's length- students, colleges, friends, and especially family. She doesn't trust people and shows no intention to. She shows no interest in anybody around her, until a soft brown eyed girl enters her lecture with a look of hurt deep in her eyes that she can't seem to stop thinking about. Emilia notices Amara's writing first. There's something about her work-so raw, so aching, so lonely. It touches something in Emilia she thought she'd buried. Never has a student's piece of writing made her feel this way. They shouldn't get close. They can't get close. But they do. And it's slow, quiet, and deeply emotional. It's Amara showing up during Emilia's office hours not just to talk about writing but about life. It's Emilia realising Amara needs more than feedback-she needs someone who sees her. And it's Amara finally finding someone who doesn't leave. The two form an unspoken bond they can't explain. It's forbidden in the eyes of everybody else. But they can't help but feel softer around each other. Will they ever act on it? Will Amara's hurt or Emilia's closed offness prevent them from ever truly opening up and giving in?

Stephanie Walker is eighteen, moving across the country from Los Angeles to New York to begin her dream: law school at NYU. A new city, a new home, new friends, new everything. She's excited, but sleepless nights, old wounds, and quiet struggles follow her everywhere. She wants to live like any other college student, to blend in, to feel normal, but life hasn't been simple, and surviving on her own is harder than she expected. Every late night, every study session, every solitary drive home reminds her that life doesn't come with easy answers. Some nights, she leans on quiet habits she'd never tell anyone about, just to make it to morning. Elena Shay is thirty-two, NYU's Dean and a respected law professor. Her life is built on control, precision, and endless responsibility. At work, she's commanding, elegant, untouchable. Outside it, she's soft, warm, and human, but never careless. Elena doesn't date casually; she doesn't waste time or energy on anything that isn't worth it. She's deliberate, certain, and careful... Until Stephanie. Stephanie isn't just another student. She's sharp, captivating, and unafraid to be herself in a way that draws Elena in deeper than it should. Suddenly, the carefully maintained line between professional and personal life begins to blur. The rules, the expectations, the life Elena's worked so hard to control all scream that nothing between them can ever happen. And yet, the pull becomes impossible to ignore. As their worlds collide, Stephanie discovers a side of life she's never dared to touch: warmth, comfort, attention, and desire from someone who sees her fully, not as a girl with a "rough" childhood, but as a woman. Together, Elena and Stephanie fall into chaos, vulnerability, and longing they didn't know they were missing. Every glance, every touch, and every moment carries risk. Risk of exposure, of judgment, of everything crashing down, all shaped by the choices resting in their hands.

Maddie, a shy and orphaned girl, finds herself at a Billie Eilish concert overwhelmed by the loud music and bustling crowd. When Billie notices the frightened girl, she reaches out with compassion reassuring Maddie that she's not alone. After the concert, Billie seeks Maddie out backstage, offering her comfort and a promise of safety. Billie instinctively feels the need to protect Maddie, vowing to care for her as if she were her own. This pivotal night marks the beginning of their journey together, navigating the complexities of life, love, and the bond of family.

Ewa finds herself stepping into the unknown, navigating a world that feels entirely foreign to her. Yet, as she slowly finds her footing, she begins to realize that this unexpected opportunity is far more than just an academic challenge. It introduces her to people who will reshape her perspective, push her beyond her limits, and ultimately turn her entire life upside down in ways she never could have imagined.

Riley Mitchell wears #10 like a crown The same number her mother wore when she was the golden girl of college soccer. But Riley isn't golden. She's reckless, impulsive, and carrying a legacy she never asked for. Tatum Hayes has been Riley's personal nightmare since eighth grade. Five years of bullying. Five years of psychological warfare. Five years of making Riley hate herself. Now they're both at the University of Texas. Same campus. Same parties. Same apartment complex. Riley wants to destroy her. Tatum wants... something she can't name. The line between hate and obsession is thin. And when they cross it, there's no going back. LEGACY OF VENOM A dark college bully romance

We know how it went and how it ended, seen everything there was to see, and read every thought. To sum it all up, it's a story about an unlikely pairing that falls in love. One fell first, and the other fell harder- fell so fucking hard that it destroyed them. They weren't meant for each other, not even close. Some years have gone by. New jobs were worked, and new relationships were explored. But life has a funny way of making you face your past one way or another.

"I've been through a lot of shit and something you'd think would give me a break is love, but nope That's kicking my ass too." - (G!P You)

𝑰 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒉𝒖𝒉 𝑯𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒂 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒌𝒊𝒅𝒔, 𝒈𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒌 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. 𝑾𝒆 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒖𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌 𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒅𝒐, 𝒘𝒐𝒘 𝑮𝒐𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 '𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒂 𝒅𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝒃𝒂𝒔𝒌𝒆𝒕𝒃𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒑 ♯┆IN WHICH Two girls meet again after years apart .ᐟ