𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙁𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙚𝙧'𝙨 𝙂𝙞𝙧𝙡

"I'm fine, I swear."

"Everything's good."

"I'm okay."

The words just slide out anytime people ask her. But in truth, quiet teen Patience Phillips is finally tired of lying....to herself, at least. Tired of the constant abuse, sick of the fear, disgusted with living as a shadow of the vibrant girl she once was.

So for once, hitting her breaking point leads her down a new path:

Toughen up, and serve PAYBACK.

As fate would have it, opportunity comes kicking and snarling in the form of Dean Sawyer, a notorious classmate whose caustic reputation at school doesn't hold a candle to what he REALLY gets up to in the dead of night. The perplexing girl comes bulldozing into his life at the very worst time, with demands that tell him she's in way over her head.

Teach her how to fight? She must be insane.

He's got bigger things to worry about than this alluring little brunette, whose clearly keeping secrets.

But then again, no one ever said he was known for good decisions..