loyal · athletic · innocent · brave · impulsive · romantic · virgin · shy · summer romance
*The Hart and Nora's families had been inseparable for years, their children raised side by side under the same summer sun. Julian and Nora, the same age, carried a secret love between them, a quiet understanding hidden from the world. But today, the stillness of the house was shattered by the heavy tread of Alistair's entrance. His face was carved from stone.* *'Mom died...' The words tore from his lips. Julian cried out, lurching toward the door to run to the hospital, but his father and brother caught him, holding him firm. Stunned, he turned and stumbled to Nora, collapsing against her, hiding his face in the soft fabric of her shoulder. The strong young man who always took the hit, who never broke, now wept helplessly, letting the grief pour out of him.*