Our moms were best friends. There wasn't much more to it than that. Every holiday, vacation and weekend, I was forced to spend time with Jax and his family. When I was four years old and he drenched my favorite blouse in ketchup, Jax and I became arch enemies...and then - somehow - we became best friends. But like I said, there wasn't much more to it than that. Mostly. Okay, so of course I liked him a little. How could I not? Even though Jax was annoying at times, he was also funny, athletic, popular, and downright hot, and I was his nerdy little best friend. He was my protector, the one who rescued me countless times from countless threats. We shared more than just friendship... Until the death of Jax's mother. The grief drove a wedge between us, and only so much more grief would follow. But pain has a way of tearing people apart, only to force them back together again. That's what happened to us. And, unfortunately, the only way around pain is through it. Trigger Warning: This book contains references to physical abuse and sexual trauma. Please read cautiously, and remember to take care of yourself.

I have to do this, I have to. I kept telling myself that as I leaned closer and closer to her beautiful face. Wait.....WHAT?? No, it's just a dare, you don't have time to develop emotions James. Think think think!! But I couldn't once her soft lips were pressed against mine. What happens when you fall for the person you never expected to? What happens If you never realize what you have until it's gone? Ask that to James. He has experience all of the things above.

ɪ ᴡᴀs ᴀ ɴᴏʀᴍᴀʟ 𝟙𝟟 ʏᴇᴀʀs ᴏʟᴅ ɢɪʀʟ ᴜɴᴛɪʟ...ᴍʏ ʙᴀʙʏsɪᴛᴛᴇʀs ᴄᴏᴜsɪɴ ᴛᴜʀɴᴇᴅ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴀ ᴠᴀᴍᴘɪʀᴇ, sᴏ ᴍʏ ʙᴀʙʏsɪᴛᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴀ ᴠᴀᴍᴘɪʀᴇ . ɪ ʜᴀᴅ ᴛᴏ sᴇᴇᴋ ʜᴇʟᴘ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ 𝟜 ʙᴀᴅᴀssᴇs ᴏғ ᴏᴜʀ sᴄʜᴏᴏʟ ᴅᴜᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴍʏ ᴄʜᴀʀᴍ ᴛʜᴇʏ ғᴇʟʟ ғᴏʀ ᴍᴇ, ᴡʜᴏ ᴀᴍ ɪ ᴋɪᴅᴅɪɴɢ?, ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴊᴜsᴛ ғᴇʟʟ ғᴏʀ ᴀɴ ᴀʙɴᴏʀᴍᴀʟ ʙʟᴜᴇ ᴇʏᴇᴅ ᴛᴇᴇɴ ɢɪʀʟ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴘʀᴏʙʟᴇᴍs , sᴏ ɪ'ᴍ ɪɴ sᴏᴍᴇ ᴋɪɴᴅᴀ ʟᴏᴠᴇ sǫᴜᴀʀᴇ?. ᴍʏ ᴘᴀʀᴇɴᴛs ᴀʀᴇ ᴡᴏʀᴋᴀʜᴏʟɪᴄs ʙᴜᴛ ᴍʏ ʙʀᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ sɪsᴛᴇʀ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏs ᴍᴀɴᴀɢᴇ ᴛᴏ ғɪʟʟ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠᴏɪᴅ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴀʙsᴇɴᴄᴇ ʙᴜᴛ ɪ sᴛɪʟʟ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍ. ᴡᴇʟʟ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ ᴛᴏ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴍʏ ᴀᴍᴀᴢɪɴɢ ʙʀᴏᴛʜᴇʀ, sɪsᴛᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴍʏ ʙᴇsᴛ ғʀɪᴇɴᴅ. fσямєяℓу киσωи αѕ му вαвуѕιттєя ιѕ α ναмριяє. ℝ𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕦 𝕨𝕠𝕟'𝕥 𝕣𝕖𝕘𝕣𝕖𝕥 𝕚𝕥 (𝕀 𝕤𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕕 𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖 𝕒 𝕔𝕝𝕚𝕔𝕙𝕖 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕖𝕣𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕝).