"Rowan, I just want you to know that whatever happens, I will always love you," he told me.
"Brandon, don't talk like that, you're gonna be okay," I say trying to hold back the tears. "Rowan," he started, "I never thought that I would come back here and the girl of my dreams was right in front of me all along." Here come the tears. "You are my once in a lifetime," he breathed. "I love you, Brandon Stevens," I cried. "I-I lo-ve," was all he could get out before he the machines he was hooked up to beeped like crazy. A few minutes later, a doctor came out and told us that he was gone. That was the last time I will ever see my boyfriend.
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]]