Truth Hurts - Malachi Barton

Amelia Mae has a big secret-one nobody knows and one she's spent years learning how to carry alone. She moves through life carefully, keeping people at a distance, mastering the art of seeming fine while quietly unraveling in private. Letting someone see the real her has never felt like an option; it's safer to rely on no one, to expect nothing.

That all changes when she unexpectedly runs into Malachi Barton-the school's golden boy, all effortless confidence and easy charm. He's everything Amelia has trained herself to avoid, and yet somehow, he sees through her walls piece by piece. What starts as fleeting glances and guarded conversations turns into something deeper, something dangerous. For the first time, Amelia considers the possibility that maybe she doesn't have to do everything alone.

But secrets have a way of surfacing, and closeness comes with a cost. As Amelia allows herself to fall, she's forced to confront the truth she's been running from-and the reality that some connections aren't meant to last. What happens when you finally let someone in, only to realize that loving them might mean losing them?