The Quiet Struggle

Until a year ago, Kacey's life had always been easy. But when it rains, it pours, and he loses what always seemed a given. A year and a half later, he has rebuilt his life and adjusted to the new circumstances as the single caregiver for his best friend's child in New York. But something is still missing. Luca's life has never been easy. Tragedy left her alone, and growing up in the home and foster care system took a toll on her. But against all odds, she has managed to get accepted into the training program for her dream job, a job that brings happiness and joy into people's lives - and to hers. When they are brought together by chance, they both have to face their past, their fears and their hopes. * * * [about 185,000 words] 18+ ONLY due to mature content. Trigger Warnings (may contain spoilers): 🚩sexual assault (not depicted on page) 🚩loss of a friend/loved one 🚩panic attack (once on page) Enjoy, Izzy 🩺🥃 * * * ⭐️ #1 in singleparent 09/29/2022 ⭐️ #1 in adultromance 07/13/2022 ⭐️ #1 in happyending 11/13/2022

"Growing up in someone else's shadow taught me one thing: finding myself was the hardest-and most beautiful-journey of all." School was supposed to be easy-a place to learn, laugh, and grow. But for her, it quickly became anything but simple. 🌿 Everyone around her seemed brighter, bolder, better. Every whispered compliment, every small success she didn't have, made her question herself. Slowly, the shadow of comparison began to follow her everywhere. Then college arrived-bigger, more dazzling, and full of surprises she never saw coming. Friendships that challenged her, choices that tested her, and moments that made her heart ache in ways she didn't expect. Could she navigate this new world without losing herself? From quiet school corridors to late-night reflections, from self-doubt to self-discovery, this story is about growing up, facing unexpected twists, and finding the courage to step out of the shadows. If you loved "The Goodbye We Never Said," you'll recognize the familiar struggles and heartfelt moments-and maybe even find yourself rooting for her as she learns to shine in her own light.

The child of two of the worlds most well known and respected actors, Julie was born in the limelight. Basically raised on film sets and red carpets, it was no surprise that Julie became an Actor herself at a young age. Follow Julie as she deals with the high highs and low lows of being a Young Woman in Hollywood. When tragedy strikes, she begins to escape to a happier time. ***Trigger Warnings*** Mentions of death, drug use, and sexual abuse

Seventeen-year-old Mavis Harverly has always been the quiet kid. Born with a rare vocal deformity this girl has never spoken a coherent word in her life. Now thrown into a new school after getting expelled, she has a load of problems to face. FOr instance, a hot jackass who she just can't get rid of. A chirpy friends group that she tries desperately to keep around. A set of disappointed and strict parents. And a drifting best friend. Her whole life Mavis has been silent. She's a fiery spirit trapped by her broken voice box, her peers, and herself. Everything seems moments away from toppling over. But she tries. But eventually we all get tired of trying, don't we?

Kate is a small, shy girl who's starting college after barely graduating high school. She didn't want to go to college initially because she didn't feel like she could handle it, both academically and mentally. However, when her one and only friend Megan decided to go with her, Kate agreed. The small girl has anxiety issues due to being bullied for her childish appearance and behavior. Kate was born with permanent incontinence, making her have to wear diapers her whole life, something she was bullied for in school. It also didn't help things that she had a growth hormone deficiency, causing her to stop growing at only 4'5 tall. The bullying was only exaggerated further due to her childish mannerisms, always carrying around a stuffed animal and drinking out of sippy cups. The onset of her first college semester caused her anxiety to skyrocket to new levels, which in turn, caused her to become even more childish. Megan, Kate's only friend, was a 6'1 tall girl who had great grades through all of school, taking all advanced classes in high school and entering college with a year's worth of credits already. Her much better grades caused her to be in different classes than Kate through all of high school, but Megan used her status as the smartest student in her class to choose her schedule so that she always had lunches and study halls with Kate. The two girls became friends all the way back in kindergarten. Even back then, Megan was the smart one. She realized that Kate always needed extra help with work and would go into the teacher's office with the teacher for diaper changes. Megan felt bad for the poor girl, having stopped wearing any kind of protective underwear herself soon after she turned 2. So Megan introduced herself to Kate and they quickly became friends, Kate becoming clingy even towards Megan. How will Kate's first semester of college go? Will she be able to handle it, or will she end up flunking out or dropping out?

❝𝑰 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒚 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒕-𝒎𝒊𝒂 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒂.❜❜ She is a brilliant gynaecologist but mute since childhood trauma stole her voice. She doesn't get attached neither to people nor promises. For her, life was about control-of her career, her choices, her emotions. She didn't want to be fixed. She just wanted to be left alone. While he is the youngest of the Kapoor clan. A surgeon by profession, a charmer by nature. Never serious. Never still. He wanted admiration, attention and a girl who could worship the ground he walked on. A narcissist in denial, and proud of it. ❝𝐒𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐬❜❜ "𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒘𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒅, 𝑰 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒔 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒆... 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒆." "𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒄𝒍𝒂𝒊𝒎 𝒎𝒆, 𝑴𝒂𝒉𝒊𝒓... 𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒆." "𝑫𝒂𝒓𝒆? 𝑲𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒌𝒂... 𝑰 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒖𝒊𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒆." ╰┈➤𝐀𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 🏅 #87 in forcedproximity out of 5.07k stories.(4.08.25) #15 in hefallsfirst out of 1k stories. (6.08.25) #35 in adultthemes out of 12.9k stories.(23.08.25) #10 in emotionalhealing out of 1.02k stories.( 7.09.25) #19 in pasttrauma out of 3.04k stories.(24.09.25) #18 in slowburnromance put of 5.54k stories. (9.11.25)

Leo is learning how to breathe again. Maddie is still the calm in his storm. They're older now-changed by time, by pain, by everything they've fought to survive. But some things don't change. Like the way he looks at her. Like the way she always knows what he needs, even when he doesn't. This is a story about love that grows with you. About holding space for someone even when it hurts. About choosing each other-again and again-even when the world keeps pulling you apart. And maybe... about finding your way back when you never really let go. Story Snippet: ---- And she hasn't looked at me in twenty minutes. I know it's not personal. I know she's not trying to be cold. But it feels like I'm on the outside of something I didn't even know I could be outside of. I swallow hard and move toward her before I can talk myself out of it. She glances up as I approach, blinking like she didn't expect me to come over. Her smile flickers but doesn't quite fade. I reach for the hem of her hoodie and tug on it lightly-just enough for her to feel it. "Maddie," I say, quietly. "I really don't like this." Her body stills. She looks at me, really looks at me now, and the sound of the others fades a little. Her eyes soften, but her shoulders don't drop. Not yet. ---- Continuation of "The Softest Parts of Me" Book 1 I highly suggest reading the first book before this one!!! I post Chapter Updates daily! (cover pic is from pinterest)

Leo is quiet, careful, and always watching the exits. Maddie is loud, steady, and impossible to ignore. Their connection isn't instant-but it's real. And when life starts to unravel, it's Maddie who stays. Even when Leo pushes her away. Especially then. This is a story about falling in love for the first time when your heart is still learning how to beat. About finding safety in someone else's hands... and daring to believe you deserve it. Story Snippet: ---- Then her voice floated out, light and casual: "Leo?" He looked up. The door cracked open a little, steam curling out, and Maddie peeked through-cheeks flushed from the heat, water dripping from the ends of her hair and trailing down the slope of her collarbone. She wasn't holding a towel. She wasn't really holding anything. Just leaned in the doorway, chin tilted up, the corner of her lip quirked slightly. "Can you grab my towel?" she asked, almost too casually. "I left it on the bed." His heart stuttered. "Uh-yeah. Yeah, of course." He scrambled up. "And my clothes? The ones I left out." Her voice lowered just a little, almost teasing. "Also... do you have a zip-up I can borrow?" He found himself nodding before he could think, already pulling the folded towel into his hands, then her clothes-still neatly laid out like she'd planned it. He grabbed her skincare pouch from the nightstand too. Last thing she'd want was to forget that. Then he paused at his duffel, rifling through until he found one of his hoodies. The grey one. Oversized. Definitely too big on her, which suddenly made his brain short-circuit even more. He knocked lightly on the doorframe. "Got everything." "Come in a little," she murmured from behind the door, cracking it open just an inch more. "Just... don't look." ---- - Content Warnings: emotional abuse, coercion, trauma recovery, PTSD, healing after SA - 70,000-210,00 words in total - BOOK 2 IS CONFIRMED!!!!! (cover pic is from pinterest)