ething stronger made me want to stay.

Julian was the boy next door. My brother's best friend, he fit with my family in ways I never could. While he and Rhett went on to play house, I left the only life I knew, desperate for a fresh start.

Until everything changed.

Heartache came along, and the aftermath of my brother's death was here to stay.

I was now face to face with Julian more than I ever wanted to be.

Being around him brought up all my insecurities, forced me to deal with hard truths, and conjured up feelings I had no business entertaining.

He wasn't the man I thought I knew. He was complex and layered, and inherently beautiful in all the ways I'd never noticed.

Not on another person.

Not on another man.

Not until him.