State of Us

Only two things matter to me in this shitty town: freestyle motocross and my best friend. They're my only escape from my father's fists, but one slip in junior high almost changed everything. I confessed a secret to a beautiful boy, and I've been punishing him—and myself—ever since. I can't have Huckslee the way I want, so I take from him in the only way I can—with violence. When my mother wants back into my life, and I'm forced to move in with the object of my obsession, the lines between hate and desire begin to blur. I'm not sure we'll survive each other.

Matty's the only person who ever mattered to me. Since we were seven years old, he's been my rock, my anchor, and the light guiding me to safety when the world got too dark. Then Hannah was born, and she became the glue holding us in place. It wasn't perfect, but it was ours—a life we built together. Until Matty made a choice that shattered it all. Now, I'm adrift, trying to figure out if I can forgive the man who promised me forever but left me behind.

I've always lived a structured life. Every box was checked, every decision planned, right down to the color-coded polos in my closet. Neat, orderly, by the book—just like I was raised. It's what made Salem and me so good together. But it didn't stop her from hating me. It didn't stop the news about my adoption from shattering everything I thought I knew. And it sure as hell didn't prepare me for the questions rising from the truth: about who I am, what I want, and who I've been pretending to be. I don't even recognize the man in the mirror anymore. But maybe I never really knew him at all.