Beneath the Ashes

Harper Carson is 19. Guarded, smart, and quietly kind.
She has more scars than she lets anyone see-some from fists, some from silence, and some from things she still can't say out loud. After surviving years in an abusive home, she's finally moved out. Alone, bruised, but breathing. Trying to build a new life from nothing.

She doesn't have friends. She doesn't want attention. She just wants peace.

Then there's Elliot Blackford.
Now 23. Cold. Sharp. Distant.
He was once her best friend-before everything fell apart. Now he's something else entirely. And whatever he's become... he's hiding something dangerous.

They're not the same people they were.
What was once love is now buried under anger, betrayal, and silence. But something still ties them together-something neither of them are ready to face.

And Harper? She's done pretending she's fine.
She's ready to burn everything down... or rise from it.

Beneath the Ashes is a slow-burn, friends-to-enemies-to-lovers romance filled with trauma, tension, secrets, found family, and the long, painful road to healing.

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Trigger Warnings:

This story contains mature and potentially triggering content, including:
- Sexual, emotional, and physical abuse
- PTSD and trauma
- Depression and substance abuse
- Mentions of sexual assault
- Strong language
- Sexual content