BOOK ONE Coming out was supposed to set Julian free. Instead, it left him with a broken arm, a mother who won't stop preaching, and a silence that grows heavier every day. High school feels like a cage, and Julian is certain he doesn't belong anywhere-until Paul crashes into his world. With his inked skin, effortless charm, and a following that makes him untouchable, Paul should be the last person Julian lets close. But in Paul's arms, Julian feels something he's never known before: safe. As their connection deepens, so does the danger. Loving Paul means risking exposure, rejection, and heartbreak all over again. Worse, it means facing the cruelest voice of all-the one inside Julian's own head. Tender, raw, and unflinching, Open is a story about first love, first heartbreak, and finding the courage to believe you're worthy of both. ::: I could feel it when his body finally went slack, when he'd fallen asleep and soft snores emitted. And I thought I was getting better at this breaking down thing... I honestly did but when I was alone, I seemed to fall apart. Endless serenades of how worthless I'd been and how destructive I was; I was a disappointment to literally everyone and I hated it. My breathing became shallow as I cried for the second time that day, finally feeling content being immersed in guilt. A shudder wracked through my body, tears escaping and Paul pulled me closer as he woke silently. Mumbling soft nothings against my skin and kissing it to slow my breathing, he tried to lull me to sleep, "It's okay, you're okay." Refusing to speak -my voice failing me- his arm came up to wrap around my shoulder and I held him there, placing a small kiss to his tattooed skin in a broken sign of gratitude, I must've run out of tears. And I felt at ease.

So, there's this girl. She's perfect. And yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, that's what every lovesick sap says about the girl that they pine after but I'm serious. She's literally perfect. She's smart, she's athletic, and she's got this- this amazing laugh that just makes you want to laugh with her. She's tall like a model, with this long, dark brown hair, and these blue eyes- holy shit, don't even get me started on those eyes. And then... there's her brother. He's the exact opposite. The dude is practically a giant. He's tall, muscular, vulgar, rude, and, honestly, the scariest person that I have ever met in my life. But guess which one I have a date with. Kai Avery. Where to begin? He's popular, get's good grades, has devilishly good looks, he's got it all! Well, all except for the girl of his dreams, Rose Clary. When he finally gets his chance to ask her out without her scary brother around, it all goes downhill when he's ambushed by Blake Clary himself. In a panic, he lies and says he was coming to talk to Blake instead. He expected to get punched, but instead... got a date for Friday night. *** WARNING WARNING THIS BOOK CONTAINS BOYXBOY SEX IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT THEN BE A BABE AND GET OFF MY PAGE K THANKS ***