People often say that 'hate' is a strong word. But for Blake Stevens and Gabe Tiller, it's not strong enough.
Blake, a geeky and sarcastic wallflower, and Gabe, a popular womanizing jock, despise each other with a burning passion. Their mutual loathing is legendary, fueled by Blake's sharp wit and Gabe's arrogant swagger.
Despite their best efforts to avoid each other, fate has other plans. Their mothers, best friends since high school, force them on a family-friend holiday, confining them to the barriers of a Caribbean cruise ship. But when an unexpected twist leaves them stranded on a deserted tropical island, Blake and Gabe must put their differences aside to survive.
As they struggle to find food, build shelter, and make fire, they discover that they might need each other more than they ever imagined. In the face of adversity, their hatred begins to thaw, revealing unexpected depths and hidden vulnerabilities.
Stranded together, Blake and Gabe must navigate the treacherous waters of survival and their own hearts. Because sometimes, the person you hate the most is the one you can't live without.
BOOK 1 in the Drowning/Bully Standalone Series.
WARNING: This book contains intense bullying, explicit scenes, triggering language, violence, and psychological content.
I told Caden to cancel his stupid party.
He told me, with that infuriating smirk, "Why? Planning to be my snack tonight?"
Caden has made my life hell for four years, ever since our parents got married.
He's gorgeous, arrogant, and the kind of boy Stanford girls trip over themselves for.
Me? I'm the only one who sees right through him.
He's a blatant bully, the devil who turned me into a surreptitious one.
And now we're stuck sharing the same off-campus apartment for our entire freshman year.
Living together means new rules, no boundaries... and a tension I never expected.
The closer we get, the harder it becomes to remember why we ever hated each other in the first place-
and nothing threatens our pride more than that.
***
Step into an adventure of passion, forgiveness, and second chances.
This is Caden and Madison's story.