Safe Hands at Waterloo Road

After being dumped outside Waterloo Road with nothing but the clothes on her back, nineteen-year-old Summer ends up crossing paths with Donte Charles, who's also nineteen and trying to figure his own life out. What starts as him offering her a sandwich and somewhere warm to sit slowly turns into something much softer, gentler, and far more protective than either of them expected.

Summer doesn't understand affection. She flinches at hugs, freezes when someone reaches for her hand, and genuinely doesn't understand why people would want to be kind to her without wanting something in return. Donte, loud-hearted and stubbornly caring, refuses to let her face things alone.

Meanwhile, Chlo grows increasingly jealous of how attached Summer becomes to Donte, making it very clear throughout the story that she doesn't want Summer around. Luckily, Kim Campbell sees far more than everyone else does - and quickly realises Summer needs protecting long before she's ready to admit it herself.