Golden boy. Party king. Trust fund brat. That's what they call me - Lee Sterling, Oakmount University's favorite disaster. Everyone thinks they know me, but they only see what I let them. I’m the guy who can charm his way out of anything and never takes life seriously. But it's all a ruse. They don't see the mask I wear or the cage of family expectations slowly threatening to suffocate me. Three months. That's how long I have to find someone "suitable" to present at the Sterling New Year's Gala, or it's over. I tell myself I can handle it, like I handle everything else - with a smile and a shot of bourbon, but deep down, I know I'm inching closer and closer to the edge. Then I meet Salem Masters in a dark pantry at a party, and suddenly, nothing feels simple anymore. They call her crazy, and broken. The girl who wears latex gloves and counts her steps. I call her beautiful, careful, haunted. One encounter and I’m obsessed. I need to know more about her. I need to know if she's just like me. When I discover we share a common interest, I convince her to be my fake girlfriend. She could use the protection, and I need to convince my family I’m normal…but when our fake relationship turns real I discover just how close to danger I am. Because for the first time in my life, I want something that I can't have, that I don't deserve.

Publication Year: 2025