18-year-old Aria Blake lost her parents in a tragic accident she believes was her fault. Struggling with survivor's guilt, PTSD, and the haunting memories of her small hometown, she accepts a scholarship to a university in a quiet coastal town far away, hoping to start over.But fresh starts aren’t so simple.At Crestwood University, Aria meets Luca Reed, a brilliant but emotionally distant literature major with a sharp tongue and hidden scars of his own. Though they clash at first, a shared creative writing class slowly draws them together. Aria sees something behind Luca’s guarded exterior—a boy as broken and lost as she feels.As the two form a fragile bond, past traumas resurface, secrets unravel, and love grows in the spaces where they hurt the most. But healing isn't linear—and falling in love might be the most terrifying risk of all.