Lucy in love

She swore she was done with boys who couldn't love her back. Then came Liam-beautiful, reckless, and utterly untouchable.

College was supposed to be her reinvention. Instead, Lucy finds herself tangled in a cycle of almosts: almost-love, almost-enough, almost-over. There are late-night calls that leave her heart racing, drunken dares that blur into kisses that almost mean something, and the hollow ache of being someone's maybe.

Just when she thinks she's learned her lesson, Liam pulls her back in-one whispered confession, one fleeting touch at a time. She knows better. So why can't she stop?

Then there's James. Quiet, steady, and nothing like the chaos she's addicted to. He doesn't play games. He doesn't make her guess. And when he looks at her, she feels something terrifyingly new: seen.

But letting go of Liam means facing the truth-that some loves aren't meant to be held, only mourned. And holding on to James might mean believing she's worthy of something real.

This is a story about the love that breaks you, the love that heals you, and the fragile courage it takes to choose yourself.