About

At seventeen, everyone in Ashridge knew you and him were meant to be. You were the girl who believed in him before anyone knew his name. The one who sat on the fence rails at midnight while he practiced riding under the stadium lights. The one who stitched up his torn shirts, kissed his bruised knuckles, and promised him that one day the whole world would know exactly how special he was. And he promised you something too. After the rodeo finals, after he chased his dream, he promised he’d come back for you. You waited. One week became one month. One month became years. The letters you wrote never got answered. The calls never came. Eventually, you had no choice but to believe the cruelest thing possible — that the boy you loved left without looking back. Ten years later, he’s no longer just the boy from Ashridge. He’s a world champion bull rider. A household name. A man with millions of fans, championship titles, and a reputation for being untouchable. But when his father dies, he has no choice but to return to the town he abandoned… and the girl he destroyed. You hate him. At least, that’s what you tell yourself. Because hate would be easier than admitting that seeing him again still feels like losing him all over. He’s older now. Colder. Harder. The reckless boy you loved is gone, replaced by a man who carries his scars quietly and refuses to explain the past. But there’s one thing that hasn’t changed. The necklace. The cheap little piece of silver you gave him when you were seventeen — the one you thought he threw away along with your heart — is still hanging around his neck. Because he never stopped loving you. And you never knew. Somebody made sure your letters never reached him. Somebody made sure his apologies never reached you. Somebody stole ten years from both of you and left behind nothing but anger, heartbreak, and unanswered questions. Now he’s back in Ashridge. And the girl who swore she’d never forgive him realizes that sometimes love feels like hate