River Wild.
Moody. Sullen. Jerk.
And my new neighbor.

I have no interest in befriending River. And he definitely doesn’t want to be befriended by me.

Then, he helps me rescue an abandoned dog. And, that day, I see something in his eyes that reflects back in my own. Sadness. Pain. Loneliness.

I know all of those things well.

An unwanted and unexpected friendship that somehow works. Then, without warning, it turns into something more.

River and I both have our secrets, and that’s okay. Because I understand him. And he understands me.

For the first time in my life, I have something I never thought I would have—happiness.

But happiness isn’t forever. Not for people like me.

Especially not when my past is waiting just around the corner, ready to come and take it all away.