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Shade of Us

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Shade of Us

By: Russell Walker
Narrated by: Max Nguyen
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Emily Bennett has spent most of her life learning how to keep the peace.Growing up around her father's violence taught her to avoid confrontation, forgive quickly, and hold tightly to the people who once made her feel safe. That includes Sarah Holloway, her best friend since childhood. Sarah stood beside Emily during some of the darkest years of her life, so Emily has always overlooked the competitive remarks, the subtle humiliations, and the strange way Sarah seems happiest when Emily stays in the background.Alex Reynolds notices what Emily cannot.From the first day of psychology class, Alex is drawn to her quiet kindness and hidden strength. He watches as charming upperclassman Jake Carrington begins playing Emily and Sarah against each other, feeding jealousy while pretending his attention is harmless. When rumors spread across campus and Emily becomes the target of gossip, Alex is one of the few people willing to believe her without hesitation.Then the truth about Sarah comes out.The friendship Emily thought had protected her has also been hurting her for years. Old memories take on new meanings, and Emily must confront the painful difference between loyalty and allowing someone to diminish her.As Alex becomes her closest source of support, their friendship slowly deepens into something neither of them can ignore. But Emily's past has made trust difficult. Before she can fully open her heart, she must learn to set boundaries, face conflict without disappearing inside it, and understand that compassion does not require returning to relationships that repeatedly cause harm.Shade of Us is a contemporary college romance about friendship betrayal, emotional healing, first love, jealousy, self respect, and learning to trust after years of fear.Told through Alex's devoted perspective, the story follows Emily from quiet self doubt toward greater confidence as she confronts a manipulative friendship, rejects a toxic romantic game, and begins building a healthier future on her own terms.With campus drama, slow growing romance, painful confrontations, and an ultimately hopeful ending, this is a story about choosing love without surrendering yourself, forgiving without forgetting, and discovering that moving forward sometimes begins with finally saying no.©2026 Russell Walker (P)2026 Russell Walker Genre Fiction
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