Collide ★ Nicholas Chavez

Lyla Kateb doesn't let people in-not anymore. Once a bubbly extrovert, a devastating loss left her detached and guarded. At twenty-one, she's confident, driven, and perfectly fine on her own. She knows her worth and isn't afraid to walk away from anyone who doesn't measure up. Lyla's laser-focused on her future, keeping her emotions under control and her walls sky-high.

Nicholas Chavez is the guy everyone notices. Star football player, effortlessly charming, and way too good-looking for his own good with confidence that draws people in. But beneath the easy grin and golden-boy exterior is a man shaped by a painful past, one that still haunts him. He's learned to play the part everyone expects of him, but when it comes to matters of the heart, his walls are as high as Lyla's.

They've always been on the edges of each other's lives. Same hometown. Rival high schools. Passing glances & small talk at college parties. But nothing more than that. Until this summer, when a chance encounter in their town changes everything.

Lyla and Nicholas are forced to confront the sparks flying between them. What starts as small talk becomes late-night conversations. Shared moments lead to undeniable tension. And before long, they're testing the limits of the walls they've spent years building.

But letting someone in means risking it all-the pain, the past, the vulnerability. And Lyla and Nicholas will have to decide if the possibility of something real is worth the chance of falling apart.