Holding Out For The Waters Surface

Some rules are made to protect you. Others stand between you and your world.

Focused on getting through a demanding paramedical program, Cleo has little interest in romance, attention, or anything that might distract her from finishing school. Bubbly by nature, she keeps people at arm's length, hiding behind sarcasm and the carefully curated mask she formed to maintain control over the character she feels compelled to be.

She was off-limits. He knew better.

Quiet, reserved, and seemingly determined to remain professional, Martin sees beyond the reality Cleo presents to the world. What begins innocently-slowly becomes a band, ready to snap, and impossible to ignore.

Their attraction crosses boundaries neither intended to break--stolen moments, secret conversations, and a relationship that could cost Martin everything. A dangerous crush quickly becomes something neither can run from.

School is already complicated enough. Relentless scrutiny and inappropriate treatment from the Director of Paramedicine, a man who seems determined, Cleo have a tragic end. At the same time, Annabelle-a jealous student obsessed with Martin-turns Cleo into the target of a rivalry she never asked for.

Despite her instinct to run from vulnerability, Martin's unwavering presence, his dedicated pull meets her constant push, and somewhere between the two, they begin building something unexpected-trust.

Their forbidden attraction transforms into something stronger. Together, they begin navigating the realities of life-the weight of their pasts, Cleo's instinct to close herself off from everything, and how to survive in their complicated world.

Their story moves beyond the classroom, to something real, finding a mate for life. A penguin they never knew the other needed. She never thought fairytale endings would ever be written in the stars for her. An indescribable drive to be together, Martin saw every version of her-drowning in her own storm or safely back on land-he always stayed.

Their life together is a rocky, mountainous climb, but with every step, one truth becomes clearer: The person you were never supposed to fall for can become the person you were always meant to find.