Beneath the Surface

Beneath the Surface

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WpMetadataNoticeLast published Sat, Sep 6, 2025
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Fiction
Romance
Title: Beneath the Surface 17-year-old Kaya, a once-promising high school swimmer, has been off the team for almost a year after a panic attack at a regional meet went viral. Branded as "the girl who cracked under pressure," she's been quietly struggling with anxiety and depression while trying to rebuild her life away from the spotlight. When Kaya transfers to a new school for her senior year to get a fresh start, she plans to stay away from the pool - and people - altogether. But when a kind but persistent new classmate named Micah, a track star with his own battles with ADHD and grief, encourages her to attend a school swim meet, Kaya finds herself drawn back to the water - and to him. As Kaya navigates therapy, a broken relationship with her old coach, and the internal voice that tells her she's not enough, she begins training in secret again. With Micah's support and her slowly rebuilding confidence, she sets a new goal: not just to swim again, but to compete in the final state meet of the season. Meanwhile, Kaya and Micah's connection deepens, but both must confront their own emotional baggage and fears of vulnerability if they want to move from being each other's safe space to truly being in love. The theme is focusing on: Mental health (anxiety, depression, grief, ADHD) The stigma of mental illness in sports Second chances and self-redemption The importance of therapy and friendship Realistic romance (awkward, slow-building, emotional intimacy over drama) enjoy loves!!💞
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Nia Evans feels as though her kidney disease is ruining every aspect of her life. In particular, her last year of school. So, rather than return to the whispers full of lies that suffocate her, she opts to resit her final year at a different school. Where, she hopes, her disease won't consume her so she can pretend to be just like everyone else and get past the resentment she hides from her dad. But on her first day, her photo is taken by the one boy who will ruin her chances to blend in. All Milo Thompson has ever wanted to do is swim. As a child, the Olympics was his dream. But now, he understands his dreams were unrealistic. Caught between his parents' abusive relationship, he's left to look after his eight-year-old sister. Afraid of exposing weakness, he hides behind a reputation that no longer belongs to him. All at the expense of the future he still dreams of. When they meet and find art as a common ground, they open up to each other more than they ever intended through their work. Milo learns to express his true emotions in more than just his drawings. And Nia discovers that perhaps there is more to life than her disease. But as their attraction for one another becomes impossible to ignore, they both hide behind their insecurities, unwilling to accept what the other is so desperate for them to see, their self-worth.

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