21 parts Complete MatureSeventeen-year-old Ellie Carter is no stranger to change-or loss. After years of bouncing through foster homes, the only constant in her life has been her older sister, Harley. When Harley turns twenty and decides they both need a fresh start, the sisters pack their lives into an old car and head west, landing in a small desert town in Arizona.
For Ellie, the move means another new house, another new school, and the same old feeling of not belonging. The first few weeks are rough-sunburned days, silent lunches, and the ache of missing the familiar-even if the familiar was never really home. Then she meets Ryder Hayes, a well known, "bad boy" classmate with a reputation and a past no one dares to ask about.
Ryder's trouble, that much everyone says. And Ellie's learned to steer clear of trouble. But when unexpected circumstances lead them to spend time together, Ellie discovers that Ryder's bad-boy image hides more pain than rebellion-and that maybe he understands her loneliness better than anyone else ever has.
As walls begin to crack and secrets surface, Ellie must decide if opening her heart again is worth the risk. Because sometimes the hardest part of starting over isn't leaving the past behind-it's letting someone in.