8 parts Ongoing Mature*This story contains graphic sexual content and should be read by readers age 18 or older. There is also a lot of profanity and sexual trauma/religious content. There are mentions of suicidal thoughts, ideations, and attempts. Reading discretion advised. This is a work of fiction, and any correlations of people or places are coincidental.* Slow Burn
This fictional romance takes place in a small town in California that Marie Payne grew up in. She meets Aaron Carver at her childhood church when Aaron moves to town with his mother and his sister. She helps Aaron to adjust to the town and their high school, and soon, they become best friends. Both Marie and Aaron secretly want more, and as they move away, they lose touch. After life tragedies occur, they both move back to the area and regain contact. The feelings they had rekindled, and Marie, who is now married, must choose between her current life and what she always dreamed of having.