Amie Dawson was fifteen when her parents decided to uproot their city life and return to the quiet, close-knit town they’d grown up in. It was supposed to be a fresh start—simpler, safer, familiar. For Amie, it was a culture shock at first, but she quickly found a way to fit in. She joined the cheer squad at her new school, found a rhythm, and, surprisingly, started to thrive.

It was on the sidelines that she met Tyr, a strong, steady presence who somehow understood her better than anyone else. Their connection was instant, magnetic in that once-in-a-lifetime way, even though they were clearly opposites. The world got even more interesting when they decided to start dating Tyr's best friend, Geon—sharp-witted, fiery, a little wild—and the three of them fell into something deep and unconventional. It wasn't just a relationship; it was a bond that felt like a lifeline.

But life in the small town was anything but idyllic.

Behind Geon’s charm was a house filled with tension and fear. His father was an unstable man—controlling, volatile. One night, when Amie stayed over, that danger became real. Geon’s father made a move on her. She froze, but Geon didn’t. He reacted instantly—violently. The aftermath was a mess: criminal charges, court dates, and Geon placed on house arrest, despite the circumstances.

Just as that storm was beginning, Amie’s life was hit with another: her parents died suddenly in a car crash, leaving her completely alone. With no extended family willing to take her in, she was placed into foster care—until Geon’s aunt stepped in. A tough, kind-hearted woman, she offered Amie not just a place to live, but a sense of safety in a world that had repeatedly failed her.

For a while, things were almost okay again. Amie clung to Tyr and Geon. They were her anchors, the only real family she had left.

Then Mateo came back to town—Geon’s ex, a ghost from a past no one wanted to talk about.

At first, he played nice. Said he just wanted to catch up. Then one night, he didn’t take “no” for an answer. Amie never told anyone right away. She blamed herself, tried to carry it quietly. Until symptoms brought her to the hospital where she learned she had been pregnant, but the stress her body had been under caused her to miscarry.

It nearly broke her.

But Amie doesn’t break easy. She bends, she cracks, but she keeps going. Her pain didn’t make her cold—it made her fierce. Protective. Loyal to a fault. She learned early that people can leave, people can hurt, but some people—the right people—can also help you survive.

Now, she’s someone who smiles with just a little too much force, who loves hard and fights harder. She’s still healing. Still figuring out who she is beyond the things that happened to her. But if there’s one thing she knows for sure—it’s that she’s still here. And that counts for something.