[The Patrick Chronicles 01] • Fissure

Patrick Hayward’s never been a one woman type of guy, that’s why he never dates just one. However, still reeling the loss of the one woman he took a chance on falling in love with to his older brother, Patrick is enrolled—sequestered, if you asked him—at Stanford in hopes of breaking him out of his months long, beard growing, rootbeer chugging, hygiene impaired, funk. Something breaks when a certain Emma Scarlett storms into his life his first week on campus as he’s suntanning and cat calling when he should be in class. Emma sees through his act and calls him out like she’s seen his kind a million times before, but Patrick knows he isn’t one of a million, he’s one in a million. Intrigued by this fascinating creature that is ignorant to his charm, surrounded by four older brothers who look at Patrick like he’s a bug they could squish, and dating the same guy for the past six years who gives new meaning to the term territorial boyfriend, Patrick gravitates to her, knowing she’s everything he shouldn’t fall for. So, of course, he can’t help himself. Forcing the stars to realign and slapping fate in the face, Patrick takes matters into his own hands and finds a way to wrangle his way into Emma’s life at every chance. As Emma begins to open up to him, he’s about to discover she’s thwarted by as many secrets as he is. But hers are the kind that make you want to keep your light on at night. Patrick never could have imagined a more unhappy ever after for himself than the one he's about to face.