I dedicate this to my younger self, the child who went through it all. I want to tell her that in this world of darkness, there is a beacon of light waiting to be discovered. It might take some time, but she will find it.

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Hailey Scott keeps her heart firmly guarded. Left shy and sensitive from years of verbal abuse by her father, she finds it hard to trust men and has to fight the overwhelming urge to flee.

Hailey spends her days working as a barista in her best friend's cafe tucked away in the small North Carolina town of Beaufort.

But everything she knows is about to change the moment Eric Carter walks into her life. He shows her the true meaning of love and, for once, Hailey's tempted to stay.

But will she be able to find the strength to overcome her trust issues and break free of her father's damage?