It began with a song. It ended in a perfect storm.
Annabelle Henley's life felt uncertain-until she met Beau Laine. Her simple narrative took a sharp turn the summer before her senior year when she moved cross-country from California to Louisiana. Determined to guard her heart in this unfamiliar place, Annabelle was unprepared for Beau Laine, the southern boy with southern charm. Despite her resolution not to fall in love, Beau's allure made it impossible to keep her promise.
Eight years later, Annabelle is at a pivotal point in her life. Ever since meeting Beau, she has been unable to fully move on. When a devastating hurricane strikes the southeast coast, Annabelle returns to Louisiana, reconnecting with the home that profoundly shaped her. Here, she once again encounters Beau-the boy she never truly forgot, the one who made it impossible for her to let go.
In the aftermath of a hurricane, amidst the ruins and the memories, Annabelle and Beau's paths cross once more. Their first love story had an end, but can they really go through the pain of another ending?
"Not all storms come to distrupt your life, some come to clear your path." -Paulo Coelho
As Claire aims to leave her oppressive stepfamily behind, she befriends Zion. Will he be her ticket to freedom or a distraction in achieving her dreams?
*****
Claire Olsen has had a crush on Zion Petrakis since the first time she laid eyes on him, but he never noticed, instead only having eyes on the school's it girl, Maddie Jennings. Knowing she couldn't compete with Maddie, Claire hid her feelings for Zion, satisfied with admiring him from afar. However, when a series of events led Claire closer to Zion, her feelings for him grew from infatuation to love. And despite fighting hard to keep her feelings contained by distancing herself from Zion, he was determined to show her that he's earned a spot in her life.
[[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]