⚠️TRIGGER WARNING: talks of suicide, self-harm, substance abuse, and sexual assault. May go into detail.⚠️
Tessa Foster. Daughter of Carrie and Nick Foster. Youngest of three. Claire, Savannah, then Tessa. Their family looked perfect. Chief of Police for a father. Lawyer for a mother. Three beautiful daughters. A nice house, nice cars, and boys lining up down the street for a shot at the Foster girls. Claire was the cheer team captain, class president, and in line to win the crown at every homecoming, Savannah was insanely smart, participated in every academic program she could, and graduated as Valedictorian with a 4.98 GPA in high school, and Tessa who was the most mundane of the trio, was into art with a particularly special gift in writing, though she fell to the back burner in comparison to her sisters.
Very active lives. Very successful girls. Very big secrets.
Little Tess wasn't supposed to know.
Their father had abused his role in Claire's life since she was a little girl. He took her innocence beginning at the tender age of seven.
He later was found responsible for her taking her own life at sixteen.
Tessa was unfortunate enough to be the one to find her beloved eldest sister foaming at the mouth, sweat evident on her skin, her hair sticking to her face. Tessa was twelve.
The house hasn't been the same since.
Claire has been dead for nearly seven years now and Tessa still can't make herself enter Claire's bedroom. Untouched. Just how Claire left it.
Tessa finds refuge in Addison James, her English teacher. Through her work, Tessa allows Addison to know bits and pieces of her life. Tessa becomes comfortable around Addison and they start to talk more during their time together.
Between the two, Ms. James became just Addison. This blur of the lines, weakened the roles of teacher and student. When they cross the line, will they allow each other to be what they both so desperately need?
Five years ago, Gabrielle left Castle Rock to follow her high school sweetheart and the father of her child to college. After he walks out of their lives, Gabrielle finds herself back in her home town with her daughter while she tries to start over.
Enter Nathan, her best friends older brother. He offers Gabrielle and her daughter a place to live until they're back on their feet. And as simple as Gabrielle expects it to be, it's anything but. Especially when Gabrielle realises just how attractive Nathan is and Nathan might realise that Gabrielle is everything is he's ever wanted.
"Stop," Nathan says suddenly, his voice hoarse and loud, startling me. His eyes are dark, dilated and fixed on my mouth. "Just . . . stop."
This is what I'd wanted when I started reading to him, to wind him up and get the upper hand. Now that I have it, I'm not sure this was the best idea because the way he's looking at me, creates a dampness between my legs.
"Why?" I ask, the word comes out a whisper.
He stands up and I have to contain a gasp at the obvious bulge in his slacks.
"Because I'm not hearing that character asking those questions," he stops in front of me, looking down. "I'm hearing you, asking to make me come, and I'm damn near close to letting you."
This is a QB Bad Boy and Me story, but it can be read as a stand alone !