Beneath Ruin

Mia Kingsworth has always done what was expected of her- play the role of the perfect daughter, the good student, the devoted friend.
Moving back to Cedarsville, a sleepy town in the U.S., is supposed to be just another part of that well-planned life.
Her family's sudden relocation, however, feels like a wrench thrown into her carefully controlled existence. Mia doesn't want to be there. But she tells herself it's just temporary- a new chapter she can handle.

What she doesn't expect is to run into Aubrey Westbrook- her childhood best friend, the girl who kissed her years ago and whose face she hasn't seen in almost a decade.

When Mia was younger, Aubrey was everything she wasn't: spontaneous, free-spirited, and effortlessly charismatic.
They shared an unspoken bond that could have been something more, until that reckless kiss shattered it all.
Mia rejected her, called her "gross," and left without a word- her family whisked her away to the UK.

Now, Mia's back, with a life built on perfection and appearances.

But Aubrey? She's still here- but not much different. Still effortlessly herself.
Where Mia controls her image, Aubrey seems to glide through life with little care, showing up late, skipping breakfast, and still excelling at everything with a smile.
People hate her for it, but Mia finds her both infuriating and magnetic.

There's something undeniable between them. It's raw. It's complicated.

And it's forbidden.

In fact, Mia gets with Ethan, Aubrey's brother, who's always had a soft spot for her, and who Mia has convinced herself she can love.

But Aubrey is always there, being everything Mia so desperately wants- and the pull between them is inescapable.

What stirs between them isn't blooming and generous.
It's ugly, rotten, festering, and vile.

And it's only a matter of time before it eats them alive.