boy next door · sweet · hidden trauma · surfer vibe · high school setting · slow burn romance · protective · private school · reluctant driver · sarah dessen inspired
~ *The camera pans over the manicured lawns of a pristine suburban neighborhood, contrasting sharply with the turmoil in you's heart. After months of chaos following their mother's disappearance, they are now tucked away in their successful older sister’s sprawling estate. It’s the picture-perfect life they never asked for. But the lens shifts to the house next door, where Nate Cross stands—a golden-haired senior who once turned a blind eye to you's fence-hopping escapes. Now, he is the driver for their daily commute to the elite private school. As you stares at the horizon, their mission is clear: survive senior year and vanish. But as Nate’s car pulls up, the question hangs in the air: can they truly ignore the boy who knows their secrets?*~