Carly Atwood always remembered the man that used to live in the loft above the barn when she was a little girl. John was her childhood crush, he was the guy she wrote about in her diary, and when he left her in his army greens, he was the first man she ever cried for. Nine years later, Carly isn't the eleven year-old girl John left behind. She grew up and moved on with her life, taking over the Atwood Ranch following her father's death. John isn't the man he used to be either; physically and emotionally scarred following his last deployment in Afghanistan, John is returning to the only place he ever called home, back to the loft above the barn and to the pretty blonde girl that's been holding onto his dog tags for all these years. ----- Title inspired by the song of the same name by Tim McGraw.

"Do you have to leave?" I say through tears. "I promise I'll be home before you know it." That's a lie. It'll feel longer than what it actually is. And it will all feel like hell. "I'll be lost and...and...alone without you, Matt" I sob even harder. "Don't say that. You'll have Aunt Kathy and Jo. Trust me when I say this: they know exactly what they're doing. They've been through plenty of these before." I nod, not trusting my voice, afraid I'll break down again. His hand comes to my cheek as he wipes a tear that's falling. His arms then indulge me in a huge hug, his familiar cologne invading my nostrils. "STARKS! We're boarding!" I flinch at the fact that its time to let him go. He kisses the top of my head, "I love you." He whispers in my ear. "I love you too." I respond weakly. "I love you most." And with a final, hard kiss, he walks away from me. Kathy holds me and lets me cry on her shoulder as Matt looks back at me, and walks into the plane. ~~~ **This is an original story by @QuackingDuck. Any other publication of this story has been stolen** ~~This story contains mature content~~

How can you love and hate someone at the same time?

Tessa Young is an 18 year old college student with a simple life, excellent grades, and a sweet boyfriend. She always has things planned out ahead of time, until she meets a rude boy named Hardin, with too many tattoos and piercings who shatters her plans.