Three years ago, she left home believing distance could fix everything. A new city, a new relationship, a new life—it was supposed to be the beginning she had always dreamed of. Instead, it ended in heartbreak that left her questioning not only love, but herself. With nowhere else to go, she returns to the city she once called home, determined to rebuild the pieces of the woman she used to be. Her older brother refuses to let her hide behind closed doors. Deciding that healing shouldn’t happen alone, he drags her into his world—late-night bonfires, weekend road trips, loud bars, and an inseparable group of friends who quickly make her feel like she’s always belonged. They’re warm, outgoing, and painfully honest. They tease her, flirt shamelessly, compliment her without hesitation, and somehow make laughing feel effortless again. All of them, except Lawson. Lawson is different. Quiet to the point of mystery, he speaks only when he has something worth saying, and even then, his words are usually laced with dry sarcasm. While everyone else fights to be the loudest person in the room, he watches from the sidelines with an unreadable expression. Women constantly gravitate toward him, desperate for even a glance, but he never seems interested. He isn’t arrogant or cruel—he simply doesn’t entertain attention he never asked for. At first, she assumes he’s indifferent to her too. Until she realizes he’s always there. A hand resting on the small of her back as he passes. Fingers wrapping around her waist to guide her through crowded rooms. His voice, low enough that only she can hear, murmuring sarcastic comments that somehow make her smile. He rarely starts conversations, yet he always finds reasons to stand beside her. Every touch is brief, almost accidental… except it happens far too often to be coincidence. The more time they spend together, the harder he becomes to read. Around everyone else, Lawson remains distant and untouchable. Around her, the walls seem to c
Jacob knew something was wrong the second he looked at the list. At first, he thought he had counted wrong. Maybe there was another room he had forgotten about. Maybe someone could sleep on the couch. Maybe there was some magical solution hiding somewhere in the beautifully renovated summer house he had been bragging about for weeks. Then he counted again. Four rooms. Seven people. And one very, very unfortunate mistake. “Wait,” Mila said, looking over his shoulder at the paper in his hand. “Please tell me you didn’t just realize what I think you realized.” Jacob slowly closed his eyes. Olivia, standing beside him, immediately noticed his expression. “Jacob?” “I may have made a small error.” Max laughed from the couch. “A small error? That’s the face of a man who just ruined his own vacation.” “I didn’t ruin anything,” Jacob defended, already knowing he absolutely had. Bene walked over, taking the paper from his hand. His eyes scanned the names, then slowly lifted back to Jacob. “No.” Jacob winced. “Before you say anything—” “No.” “I was organizing everything quickly.” “You put two exes who haven’t seen each other in a year in the same room.” The silence that followed was brutal. Because everyone knew exactly who he was talking about. She stood near the kitchen island, arms crossed, staring at Jacob like she was waiting for him to explain how this could possibly be happening. Across the room, Ace hadn’t said a word. He was leaning against the wall, looking far too calm for someone who had just found out he’d be sharing a bedroom with the one person he had spent the last year trying not to think about. A year apart. A year of silence. A year of pretending he was fine. And now she was standing ten feet away from him. “Jacob,” she finally said, her voice dangerously calm. “Tell me you have another solution.” “I do,” he answered quickly. “The couch.” Everyone looked at him. “The couch is horrible,” Max said. “It’s not that bad.” “It’s basically a wooden plank.” Jacob si
She’s always been the one in control. The woman who leaves men flustered, chasing after her, desperate for her attention. She doesn’t get attached, doesn’t believe in settling down, and certainly doesn’t let anyone get under her skin. Men are easy to read, easy to handle, and even easier to leave behind.
The city was just beginning to wake up. The sidewalks were crowded with people chasing the start of another workday, cafés overflowing with sleepy customers clutching their first coffee, traffic humming endlessly in the background. She had left her apartment earlier than usual, deciding to walk the few blocks to her favorite café before heading to work. It was one of the few parts of her routine she genuinely enjoyed—the quiet before the day became too loud. As she waited outside for her order, a voice pulled her attention toward the sidewalk. A woman stood a few feet away, clearly trying to make conversation with an impossibly tall man dressed in black. He barely looked at her. Hands tucked into the pockets of his jacket, expression unreadable, he listened just long enough to answer. The excitement on the woman’s face disappeared almost instantly. She forced an awkward smile, mumbled something under her breath, and walked away, embarrassed. He didn’t apologize. He didn’t look guilty. If anything, he looked mildly inconvenienced, as though the interaction had wasted thirty seconds of his morning. She watched him for a moment, surprised by how someone who looked like he had stepped out of a cologne advertisement could carry himself with so little regard for the people around him. Then he caught her staring. One corner of his mouth lifted into the faintest smirk. “Got something to say?”
Mason Carter is Ashford University’s golden boy—captain of the hockey team, ridiculously handsome, and painfully arrogant. He’s used to getting whatever, and whoever, he wants. Everyone falls for his charm… except one girl. For two years, she’s rejected every invitation, ignored every flirtatious comment, and never hesitated to put him in his place whenever his ego gets too big. While the rest of campus sees Mason as untouchable, she sees straight through him. But as their constant clashes turn into something neither of them expected, Mason may have to become someone entirely different to win the only heart that’s ever refused him.
Everyone expects her to end up with Justin—the campus golden boy she’s loved for years. But while Justin keeps her close without ever choosing her, his quiet best friend, Thomas, watches from the sidelines. As feelings shift and hearts break, she must decide whether to keep chasing almost… or finally choose the love she deserves.
Monday mornings were usually predictable, but she had always been the kind of person who changed the atmosphere of a room. She arrived at university dressed effortlessly elegant, heels clicking against the pavement, blonde curls hidden in a messy bun, green eyes highlighted by just enough makeup to enhance her natural beauty. Her white luxury car disappeared into the parking lot as she walked through campus, immediately greeted by familiar faces. Everyone knew her. Everyone wanted her attention. Lost in conversation with Daniela, she didn’t notice him at first. Then the energy shifted. A tall stranger walked through the entrance, covered in tattoos, dark curls falling over piercing blue eyes. His athletic figure, black shirt, and careless confidence made him impossible to ignore. He looked at her, amused by her teasing smile. As he passed, he leaned closer. “Careful not to fall, love.” Then he was gone. And for the first time in a long time, she was curious.
Moving to the quiet town of Loiselle was supposed to be a fresh start. But joining the university’s elite dance team quickly puts her in the spotlight—and catches the attention of Jared, the irresistible hockey captain. Used to getting any girl he wants, Jared is thrown off when she barely notices him. Worse, she seems interested in his best friend, Dustin. As Jared tries everything to win her attention, Dustin unknowingly becomes the biggest obstacle between them—while happily trying to play matchmaker. The problem? He has no idea she has a crush on him instead.
She finally found the kind of love that felt safe—with Denver, the sweet, steady man who made her believe in forever. Then Ryder, her irresistible ex, returns to town. Intense, magnetic, and convinced she still belongs to him, he’ll stop at nothing to remind her of the passion they once shared. Choosing between peace and fire was never going to be easy.
Y/N thought she had found the kind of love people only dreamed about. Daxton was her first everything—the man who made her feel safe, cherished, and certain that they were meant to last forever. He was gentle, patient, and completely devoted to her. But when a devastating diagnosis threatens to take away her future, Y/N makes the hardest decision of her life: she leaves him without telling him the truth, convinced she is protecting the man she loves. Years later, after fighting a battle she never let anyone see, Y/N returns to a world where Daxton is no longer the person she remembers. Now a successful and powerful entrepreneur, he has become cold, distant, and almost impossible to reach. When fate brings them face to face again, Y/N must confront the love she abandoned and the damage her absence caused. Because sometimes leaving someone is the easiest choice. Living without them is the hardest.
She came to the academy to dance—not to fall in love. At twenty-one, she’s the academy’s golden girl: confident, talented, and completely uninterested in relationships. Then Kaden arrives. The cocky British hockey star has a smile that gets him everything he wants… except her. What begins with teasing remarks and stolen glances quickly turns into a game of wit, tension, and undeniable chemistry. The more she pushes him away, the harder he chases. But beneath the flirtation, old wounds, hidden fears, and impossible dreams threaten to pull them apart. Sometimes the hardest person to catch is the one worth chasing.
She has a boyfriend, Jackson, and for once, she genuinely believes she has found something good. He’s sweet in a way that feels almost rare—patient, affectionate, attentive, the kind of man who remembers the little things and makes her feel safe without ever asking for anything in return. Their relationship isn’t perfect, but Jackson loves her, and she loves him.
