The Way Things Are // C. Grimes

Molly Bennett is fiercely loyal and battle-hard to a fault, even before the world fell and the dead rose. She's spent her life on the edge-haunted by her past, pushed and pulled by a father's demands, surviving every time the world tried to break her. Hurt once, twice, a hundred times, she keeps getting back up. On the road through ruins and reckonings, Molly finds a father figure who doesn't just protect her-he teaches her. He shows her how to breathe through fear, fight smart, move quiet, and stay safe without losing herself. He stands between her and the worst of it when he has to, and pushes her forward when he knows she can.

Can a girl who's been through hell learn to live, not just survive-or is that just the way things are?

[Warning: This story contains dark subject matter including graphic depictions of violence, strong language, and strong themes of sexual and physical abuse. Reader discretion is heavily advised.]