Bad Idea Series by Nicole French

Two years I’ve been gone. Two years locked in a juvenile detention facility for a crime that took seconds to commit, losing my sense of self and direction. Two years since I’ve seen my family and friends, since I’ve seen New York City and all its chaos. Two years have passed, but some things are still the same. There are still five of us crammed in a one-bedroom apartment in Hell’s Kitchen––six when my mother’s boyfriend decides that he and his fists should stay the night... moreTwo years I’ve been gone. Two years locked in a juvenile detention facility for a crime that took seconds to commit, losing my sense of self and direction. Two years since I’ve seen my family and friends, since I’ve seen New York City and all its chaos. Two years have passed, but some things are still the same. There are still five of us crammed in a one-bedroom apartment in Hell’s Kitchen––six when my mother’s boyfriend decides that he and his fists should stay the night. There are still four kids here who never have enough to eat and wannabe thugs lurking the neighborhood, trying to pull me back to a life of trouble. But now I’m a little older. A little wiser. A little bigger. A little stronger. And if I can focus on the future instead of the past, maybe I can make things a little better. Two years I’ve been gone. But now I’m back. It’s time to check my bearings and find the right path. less

Six months ago, I gave my heart to a girl. Beautiful, kind, and sexy as sin, she’s the only person who saw past my record or the color of my skin. Who ever saw me for me. She loved me enough to let me go, let me leave this city to find my own path. But without her, I drift, lost without direction. Without me, she spirals, desperate for connection. I gave my heart to a girl, and she gave hers to me. But love shouldn’t hurt this much.

They said I was a bad idea. Poor. Violent. Criminal. They said I'd amount to nothing, and I believed them too. Until I met her. Layla Barros saved me from my worst, but to do that, she lost the best herself. Now it's my turn to bring her back to life. If only I can figure out how to do it. I'll do anything to protect the chance we finally have together. I'll follow her to the other side of the word: Brazil. Cuba. You name it... moreThey said I was a bad idea. Poor. Violent. Criminal. They said I'd amount to nothing, and I believed them too. Until I met her. Layla Barros saved me from my worst, but to do that, she lost the best herself. Now it's my turn to bring her back to life. If only I can figure out how to do it. I'll do anything to protect the chance we finally have together. I'll follow her to the other side of the word: Brazil. Cuba. You name it. But how can I be her true north when I'm still finding my direction too? Because sometimes your worst demons are those closest to you. And sometimes getting rid of them isn't a choice at all. less