Beneath the Stars (Sugarlake, 1) by Emily McIntire

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Emily McIntire comes an angsty second chance romance and the first interconnected standalone in the Sugarlake series.

Alina Carson meets Chase Adams when she's eleven years old, after he moves in down the street carrying nothing but a chip on his shoulder and dimples in his cheeks.

Immediately she falls, loving him before she even knows what loving is. But becoming best friends with Chase's little sister means that he's off-limits, no matter how much their connection screams for something more.

Chase never cared much for following the rules. Abandoned by everyone who was supposed to love him, he's broken and insecure, choosing to push others away before they have a chance to hurt him. But there's something about the girl with golden hair, and before he can stop himself, he's sneaking through her window, whispering his deepest secrets beneath her glow 'n stick stars.

As time goes on and they get older, he decides to give their love a chance, no matter what anyone else thinks. But old habits die hard, and when tragedy strikes, Chase is back to doing what he does best.

Ruining everything.

Chase disappears, and years pass, leaving Alina with no choice but to pick up her broken pieces and move on. Until one day, he's back. All grown up and taking over his family's business.

When Alina and Chase are thrown together and forced to work in the same building, old feelings resurface, and Alina quickly realizes that Chase is on a mission, determined to right the wrongs of his past.

Starting with her.