He was glaring at me.
Hatred, regret, surprise and something ... inscrutable, interchangeably flashed across his face before he settled on pure, unadulterated anger. My heart, which had been thumping hard, stopped. The intensity of his stare forced me to subconsciously take a small step back.
Before I could react, he shouldered past me, making me drop my books once again.
Transfixed, I turned around, watching him, completely forgetting about my notes sprawled on the ground. People walked all over my books, the same way he had just walked all over my heart.
Again.
I watched him as he ran a hand through his tousled, dark hair; and a memory of that night hit me. The same night where I was the one running my hands through his hair. And the same night where it all went wrong.
My ex-best friend and my first love.
I watched Cameron Elias walk away from me.
Again.
And just like the last time, I did nothing but watch.
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STRONG LANGUAGE.
Copyright All Reserved.
Ella is falling apart trying to live a "perfect" high school life. Then she meets Ren, who can see past her scars. Suddenly perfection isn't her only option.
*****
Ella Volkov is a gifted music student, but she's depressed and starting to crack under the pressure of high school. Her overbearing father won't even let her choose what instrument she plays. Then she finds herself alone at a party with Ren, her best friend's crush. She'd always thought he was rude, but after that night he's all Ella can think about. Now she's trapped. If Ella dates Ren, it will ruin her friendship with Jenny. But if she stays true to Jenny, she's losing the one person who can see past her scars. It's up to Ella to decide if she will forge her own path, or stay in the "perfect" box designed for her...
Content and/or Trigger Warning: depression, anxiety, self-harm, violence, sexual assault.
[[word count: 50,000-100,000 words]]