BT

Everyone knows Dean Di Laurentis. Nobody knows his daughter. Araylia Di Laurentis couldn’t be more different from her father. She’s snarky, sarcastic and fiercely independent, but beneath it all, she’s guarded and closed off. She’s not coming to Briar for a fresh start. She’s running. After a toxic relationship left her carrying memories she’s determined to bury, Araylia leaves everything behind and transfers to Briar University. She keeps to herself, spends her time drawing, rides her motorbike and avoids getting too close to anyone. Then there’s Tate Tucker. Tate can’t figure her out. She’s the girl who never goes to parties. The girl who sits alone with her sketchbook. The girl who can shut down a conversation with one sarcastic comment and somehow make him want to know more. He’s intrigued. But one night, Tate catches Araylia skating alone after dark. And everything changes. For the first time, he sees the girl behind the sarcasm. The vulnerability she works so hard to hide. The part of her that she’s convinced nobody should ever see. Tate doesn’t try to force his way through her walls. He simply stays. But Araylia has spent too long keeping everything bottled up, and letting someone close means risking everything she’s worked so hard to protect. She isn’t looking for someone to save her. He’s not trying to. He just wants her to know she doesn’t have to face everything alone.