Every Scar Tells a Story
Rayna York
Publication date: June 15th 2024
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
They say time heals all wounds, but they never mention the scars left behind.
Serena McNeal, outgoing and ambitious, is ready to escape her small town as soon as she graduates high school. Knox prefers to live in the shadows, finding comfort in his anonymity. As their worlds collide and the ghosts of Knoxโs troubled past resurface, more than their newly-created bond will be tested. Because now, every decision made could be the difference between sharing a future together or facing a reality where neither one survives.
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EXCERPT:
Summerโฆ I canโt help but smile. This one will be like no other. High school will be over, and Iโll be heading off to college in the fall. Iโm so ready to leave this small town behind.
Itโs not a bad place to live, but Iโm psyched to move to an actual city where the downtown is larger than a four-block radius. And Iโm eager to get my career started. Working probably isnโt what gets most eighteen-year-olds jacked up, but I know the direction I want to go, and Iโm motivated to get there.
Hayden walks ahead of me without a backward glance, unlocking his early graduation giftโa shiny, new black Mustang. The jackass is sulking.
Reaching for the handle, I happen to look left and catch sight of a herculean figure walking on the sidewalk toward me. His head is down, face mysteriously shadowed by a hooded sweatshirt pulled low over his eyes. Somehow, he must sense me staring because he stops and snaps his head up, then looks around like Iโm blocking his path and isnโt sure what to do about it.
โAre you coming?โ Hayden says over the roof of his car with a tinge of annoyance.
โYeah, sorry.โ After opening my door, I glance back. The stranger is walking at a brisk pace across the street.
After weโre both seated in the car, he says, โDo you know that guy?โ
โNo, but I think I startled him.โ I pull the seatbelt across my chest and secure it.
โWell, it seems like you did.โ He starts the car with a vroom. โIs there something I should know about?โ
โNo.โ My heart races at the aggressive sound of the engine. โIโve never seen him before.โ Iโm still plagued with nightmares and struggle with other people driving, all because of the accident I was in with my father when I was thirteen. Hayden knows this.
The drive to my house is silent, and I wonder about the sudden awareness I had back at the restaurant. Am I really going to break up with him? I doubt heโs ever been dumped before. The guy is high school royalty. And itโs going to mess up our friend group, not to mention our plans for prom in two months. Maybe Iโm being too hasty this time. I mean, aside from occasional insensitivity, the escalating moodiness, and the increase in his drinking, whatโs really wrong with him?
Yeah, aside from all that, my brain shouts back at me.
Author Bio:
Rayna York grew up with hippie parents who liked to adventure. Where change was the norm, books were her constantโa way to escape. As an adult, many careers came and went, but writing has always been her passion. Her contemporary, coming-of-age love stories are often inspired by dreams, which she captures in her notebook with barely an eye open. When sheโs not hidden away in her writing shack, Rayna enjoys playing pickleball, losing herself in a good book, or watching a movie.
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