"Reckless Roses" by Sarah A. Bailey
For Augustus Hayes, first love was instantaneous. From the moment he found her scaling a tree in his yard, plucking purple flowers from its branches, August knew his heart belonged to Elena Ramos. Elena had the exact same experience; about August’s older brother, Zach, that is. Deciding he’d rather have her as a friend than nothing at all, August ferments himself in Elena’s friend zone, unable to let go of the hope that someday, she’ll choose him. Elena Ramos has always romanticized the world around her. Chalk it up to her writer’s soul or her passion for romance novels, but she believes whole-heartedly in young love. Anyone can do it right the first time, if only they refuse to give up. At least, that’s what she tells herself each time her on-again off-again relationship with Zach Hayes begins to feel more like a nightmare than a daydream. After nearly a decade, they call it quits for good, and her best friend steps in to fix her broken pieces. Only then does Elena realize how blind she’s been to the person standing in front of her all this time. Just as Elena and August decide to transform their friendship into something more, an unimaginable tragedy strikes them both. Will a lifetime of falling in love be enough to hold them together when their entire world falls apart?
