The Hard Way Home
Chapters (0)
Copyright © 2021 C.W. Farnsworth
Print ISBN: 978711592013
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or, if an actual place, are used fictitiously and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
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Thank you for respecting the author’s work.
Cover Design: C.W. Farnsworth
Stock Photos courtesy of Shutterstock
For my grandparents.
I love you.
Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
EPILOGUE
Star pitcher. Town golden boy. Heartbreaker. Nemesis.
Caleb Winters was a familiar name long before he deigned Landry High with his presence. It took me all of ten seconds to determine he’s everything I’m not: charismatic, captivating, and celebrated.
Unlike most of Landry, he doesn’t shy away from my messy background. Or pretend I don’t exist. He answers my caustic remarks with choice retorts of his own. Our notorious bickering aside, I don’t have time for the town golden boy. I have actual problems. Challenges. Crushing responsibilities.
But when I’m suddenly forced to spend more time with him, I unexpectedly discover Caleb Winters might be more than just the entitled jock I’ve sparred with since freshman year. And that realization can only end badly. For me. Because everyone knows he’s destined for big, impressive things, and I’m… not.
Freshman
Year
ONE
__________________________________
High school has a distinctive smell to it. Like new notebooks and desperation. Reheated food and uncertainty. Ammonia and excitement. The locker-lined halls echo with gossip and the freshly scrubbed linoleum squeaks under the soles of my sneakers. Familiar faces flash by. Eyes meet mine, then dart away. I keep my face impassive. I came prepared for this.