Alexis There once was a girl who married her high school sweetheart. They had a beautiful family and lived happily ever after. That girl wasn’t me. I did marry my high school sweetheart. We had a beautiful little boy, but there was no happy ending. He left me battered and bruised and in need of some serious therapy. My son deserved better than the broken shell I’d become. So, I got the help I needed and moved on. I still had triggers, but I learned to recognize them and avoid them at all cost. That was until my patient’s nephew quite literally cornered me in a room and I shut down. Asher was arrogant and bossy, but his touch calmed the storm that had been raging inside for far too long. It was addictive, but was it enough? Could I really fall for someone who was just as broken as me? Asher I was a loner. I was okay with that. I learned a long time ago that depending on other people only led to disappointment. I had my Aunt CeCe and she had me. That was enough. Unfortunately, other people always thought they knew what’s best for you. I am pretty sure my aunt’s only goal in life was to find me a wife before she died. I always found a way to avoid meeting them, until she tricked me. She told me the only nurse she trusted was her Lex. This tiny, smart-mouthed woman showed up and literally put me in my place. I had never been so shocked. Or turned on. Everything I thought I wanted in life became clouded with visions of Alexis. She saw through my hard exterior and tore down my walls, but could she really take me as I am—demons and all? **Trigger warning: contains one scene of domestic violence**