Trust wasn't something that came easily to Mae and it wasn't something that she had ever planned on changing. Her heart, enveloped inside a wall of thorns like a single rose, was the only thing she was afraid of losing. Though, when the alluring "bad-boy", Danny Riches from across the hall catches her eye, she finds herself dropping her guard. Her hands burned from the touch of past experiences, her eyes stung from the memories of heartbreak, her stomach turned at the idea of falling in love. A battle of mixed emotions swarming in her mind, causing her to play a game of choosing what Mae wants and what Mae deserves. Whatever happened, she was prepared for the boy with heaven in his eyes, to make her life a living hell. - ☞ This story & the characters involved are entirely fictional and all rights belong to me. Please do not copy or recreate this story in any way, thank you. This story is ideal for young adults (14+), but all ages above and beyond are welcome!! - 29.04.2018 ranks: #12 in slowburn | 22.12.19 #12 in enemiestolovers | 16.06.18 #3 in yafiction | 27.12.19 #35 in friendstolovers | 23.11.18 #2 in neighbors | 22.11.18 #51 in ya | 23.11.18 #195 in teenromance | 23.11.18 #200 in trust | 23.11.18 #356 in youngadult | 23.11.18

In a kingdom where power is fragile and loyalty is never guaranteed, Grace has spent her life being told who she should be. A princess bound by duty. A symbol of peace. A pawn in a much larger game. But everything begins to unravel when two very different men enter her world. Nash, the steady, strategic suitor chosen for her future, offers security, stability, and a path that makes sense. And Leo, the rebellious, son of her father's sworn enemy, challenges everything she thought she knew about herself, awakening feelings she can't ignore. As political tension rises and a dangerous enemy closes in, Grace is forced to confront not only the truth about her kingdom, but about her own heart. Because this isn't just a story about choosing between love and duty. It's about choosing who you become when the world expects you to be someone else. And when betrayal strikes and everything falls apart, Grace must rise, not as the girl she was raised to be, but as the woman she decides to become.