with love , Étienne

Twenty-two-year-old Louella Rey was a social-outcast. After deferring her college placement for a year, she hoped that would be the answer to all her problems. But after returning, her days were spent cowering in the dark corners and doing everything in her power to remain unnoticed. Through blurred eyes, she watched her life pass by without having the courage to do anything about it. Even though her heart was softer than most around her, she was determined to keep to herself - unaware that her silence spoke more words than she did.

When Étienne LeRoy returns from his gap year, he's surprised to find his childhood best friend, Louella, completely changed. Gone was the girl who was a known troublemaker - whose cheeky smile would light up any room around her. The sparkles in her eyes had dimmed and now told a thousand tales, none of which had been told. No longer did her loud words fill the silence around him and with secrets so dark that even the sun couldn't shine on them, Étienne is determined to find out what happened in the year that he was gone.

There are some pains which make a person silent for life.