bruised

I've always been the quiet one-the girl who hides behind books and music, who smiles even when everything inside is breaking. I'm eighteen, but I've already lost more than most people do in a lifetime. Orphaned too young, shuffled through foster homes and cold rooms, my past is filled with pain, secrets, and questions I'm too scared to ask.

When I finally get adopted into a new family, I want to believe things can get better. But fitting in feels impossible. College is hard. I find a few friends, but there's one guy who makes every day a battle-Matteo Walker. He's the bad boy everyone fears, sharp-tongued and rough around the edges. He hates me, or so it seems.

But beneath all that anger, I think there's something more-something dangerous. And the more I try to stay away, the harder it is.

Bruised is my story about surviving the worst, about learning to trust again, and how sometimes, the person you're supposed to hate becomes the one you never forget.