The One Who Stayed

She thought love was something you had to earn. He was about to prove her wrong.

After losing her grandfather, watching her family fall apart, and being blindsided by the only boy she'd ever loved, eighteen-year-old

Tessa Marchetti

leaves everything she's ever known behind for a fresh start at Kingston University.

She's done trusting people.

Done believing promises.

Done letting anyone close enough to break her heart again.

Then she meets

Beck Callahan

.

Kingston's hockey star has a reputation for never sticking around. Tessa knows better than to fall for a charming smile and empty promises—but Beck isn't interested in being another chapter in her past.

He's patient.

He's steady.

And for the first time in her life, someone chooses her without asking her to become someone else first.

As friendship turns into something impossible to ignore, Tessa must decide whether the walls she's built to protect herself are keeping love out... or keeping her from the life she deserves.

Filled with unforgettable friendships, loud Italian family dinners, slow-burn chemistry, and an emotionally devoted book boyfriend,

The One Who Stayed

is a heartfelt college romance about grief, healing, and discovering that the right person never makes you question your worth.

Perfect for readers of Emily Henry, Abby Jimenez, Carley Fortune, and B. K. Borison.