Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Tragedy tore us apart.

Scarlett

My entire world changed in an instant.

The biggest betrayal led my brother to his death, shattering my soul in the process.

He was my lifeline, the light to my darkness, and my best friend.

I don’t think I can survive without him until Maverick walks back into my life.

Maverick abandoned me when I needed him the most. He chose my sister over me.

Can I trust him to keep my heart beating, or will he destroy it for the last time?

Tragedy brought us back together.

Maverick

My best friend is gone.

The same day I lost Scarlett.

My Tinkerbelle. My best friend’s little sister.

The girl I ever loved became the girl I could never have.

Our age difference kept us in the friend zone, but she's all grown up now.

I’ve waited long enough to make her mine.

She needs me now more than ever.

I just need to convince my Tinkerbelle I will never fail her again.

Tropes:

*Small town romance

*Brother's best friend

*Age gap

*Small town boy to Hollywood Actor

*Single mother

*Tragedy

*Wicked half-sister

Please be aware this story contains content that might be troubling to some readers. Difficult topics are discussed in this story including mental health. Mature content, adult language, and disturbing matters that may trigger an emotional response.

Excerpt

THE PAST: MAVERICK 22, SCAR 16

After eating Scar's delicious dinner, we dispersed to separate rooms. The tension at the table was suffocating. I tried getting quick glimpses of Scar, but Skye would avert my attention by grabbing my thigh or making small talk.

When it was time to go to bed, I couldn't fall asleep, and it wasn't because Skye was lying next to me in lace panties. I wanted to spend more time with Scar and check in on her. With my hand underneath my head, I saw a flicker of light from the corner of my eye. I heard faint footsteps walking across the hardwood floor.

I glanced down at Skye's sleeping form and gingerly slid away from her. I grabbed my shirt, pulled up my jeans, and quietly walked out the door.

I padded down the hall until I reached the kitchen. An easy smile formed on my face as I took in Scar in the kitchen, pouring herself a glass of water and quietly singing "Alone" by Heart. She spun around too quickly, and her eyes widened when she saw me.

I chuckled and held my hands up. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

She walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out a tray of fresh fruits. Using her hip, she closed the fridge door and placed the tray on the table. "Couldn't sleep?" she asked, reaching for a strawberry and bringing it to her lips before biting into it.

I cleared my throat. "Yeah. Is that why you’re up?"

She nodded and grabbed another strawberry. My eyes involuntarily moved to her pink lips. "Do you want one?" she asked, holding a strawberry out.

I gave her a small smile. “No thanks, Tinkerbelle.”

She blushed at the nickname. I headed toward the cupboard behind her and pulled out a jar of peanut butter. Her face lit up when she saw what I was doing. I grabbed a few strawberries and dipped them in the jar. I set a few in front of her.

Strawberries dipped in peanut butter were her favorite snack as a kid. At first, I thought it was gross, but she convinced me it tasted like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. After one taste, I was addicted.

"It's your fault I love these damn things," I teased, making her blush even more. She grabbed one and took a bite. A moan escaped her pretty mouth, making my dick twitch. I shoved a cracker in my mouth to drown out the sound of her breathy moans before I did something that would put me in jail.

"Oh, God. This is so good."

I choked on my snack when I saw a picture of her making those sounds as her body writhed underneath me.

"Are you okay?" Scar patted my back with a wary look.

I nodded and stepped around her, ashamed of my thoughts, and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge.

I was going to hell.

"Ricky?" Scar's soft voice sent goosebumps across my skin. She closed the distance between us and handed me a napkin.

"Thanks," I murmured, wiping my mouth.

She was like my sister, as Seth would remind me.

She's too young.

She's your best friend's little sister.

I kept repeating these words to convince myself that it was fucked up. I needed to fight the urges that I shouldn't be having for Scar.

My Tinkerbelle.

It was so fucking wrong.

But when she looked at me with those big golden eyes, I couldn’t help but graze the corner of her mouth with my thumb. Her breath hitched, and her lashes fluttered and her eyes closed briefly, absorbing the moment between us.

"You got a little something..." I whispered, watching my finger trail over her bottom lip, a pinkish shade coming to her cheeks.

"Mav, what are you...?"

My hand quickly fell to my side at the sound of Skylar's voice. I looked up to see Skylar shooting daggers at us and the compromising position we were in. I looked down to see how close our bodies were and swallowed. Scar must have noticed it, too, because she stepped back and mumbled something. She danced around Skylar, but not until she got in a dig.

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About the Author

I was born and raised in Buffalo, New York until our family moved around to four different states. Currently reside in Ohio with my husband Steven of fourteen years. No children or fur babies. I have three siblings: a sister who will go to the earth and moon for you, an older brother who passed away unexpectedly in 2019, and a younger brother who loves with his whole heart. I am also a proud auntie to a teenage niece and nephew.

My dream was to become a writer someday, but real life got in the way. I started writing in my journal at an early age. Over time, the words in the pages formed into poetry. Reading and writing is my way of “escaping reality.” Real life sucks sometimes and getting lost in a good book helps make it less sucky.

My favorite genre is romance which includes young adult, contemporary, sports, and fantasy.

When I am not reading or writing, you will find me in the kitchen baking a crap load of sugar that I do not need or binging on the next series on Netflix, movies (huge superhero fanatic) reading my Kindle at all hours of the night, or watching Tik Tok videos. Thank you for giving my books a chance. I hope you will fall in love with the characters as much as I had fun writing them.

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