When Everly Reed collides with the cynical and devilishly handsome Mason Valdez, she knows trouble is ahead, but she never could have guessed how much she would be drawn to the storm.
*****
Nineteen-year-old Ever Reed likes when things make sense. Which is probably why she excels at math, enough to secure her a spot at an Ivy League school out of state. Sheltered by her mother and older brother Asher for most of her life, Ever hasn't experienced much of the world, but she knows New York will be an adventure.
Enter Mason Valdez: cynical, arrogant, and undeniably attractive-exactly what Ever doesn't need. But as their paths keep crossing, Ever finds herself intrigued by Mason, and eager to know the boy behind the bitter mask. As secrets, scars, and painful pasts rise to the surface, Ever knows one thing for sure: they can only make it through if they face their storms together.
[[word count: 150,000 - 200,000]]
Cover designed by Frances Louise De Ramos
Spinoff to The Hoodie Girl
Book One of the A Thousand Storms series
[[The Fiction Awards 2018 Best Overall Story and Best Romance Winner]]
Content/trigger warning: This story mentions sexual assault and childhood abuse
Ovi Verma never believed her life could turn into something straight out of a romance novel. A shy, sunshine-hearted bookworm, she only wanted to stay on top of her grades and keep her little world simple. But everything turns upside down when Avneesh Mehra - her brother's best friend, the grumpy, cold, and untouchable topper - suddenly starts becoming a part of her life in ways she never expected.
Avneesh has always lived behind walls - walls built from a broken family, harsh words, and the belief that love doesn't last. To him, emotions were a distraction, something he couldn't afford. Until Ovi. With her sarcastic comebacks, hidden strength, and the light she carries so effortlessly, she begins to chip away at the darkness he's held onto for years.
What begins as annoyance soon turns into something deeper - stolen glances, unexpected comfort, and a bond neither of them saw coming. But when past scars, family expectations, and their own fears stand in the way, will they be able to fight for the love that sneaked up on them? Or will they prove themselves right - that love was never meant for them?
A story of sunshine and storm, of brokenness and healing, of two opposites finding home in each other.