When Hank Martinez landed back in Charleston after being gone for eleven years, there were only two things he wanted: to find a gym he could easily get to from his apartment and to hang out with his three best friends as much as possible. He hadn't seen them since he enlisted in the Army at just eighteen to escape the hand of an abusive father and they were more of a family to him than his dad ever was.

That was until he saw the blonde girl at the gym every morning, reading between her sets. Who reads at the gym? When she called out to him one morning, pretending he was her boyfriend to rescue her from some creep who couldn't take a hint, it was game over.

Bailey Brown had been living the life of her dreams until the night everything changed. Two years later, she was living with her best friend and trying to make do by working odd jobs around the city. The only real things that brought her joy were her books and her morning trips to the gym. But when she saw him walk in wearing his worn-out combat boots, everything started to change for her.

Bailey has scars she hasn't told many people about, but the more she gets to know the shy soldier from the gym, the more she realizes he has scars of his own. Together, they work to heal and discover what it means to not let your past define your future. That you aren't broken forever and if you let them, the people you love can be the reason you start to mend.

• content warnings -

Please be aware that the following content warnings apply to Mending Me. While this story is an overall positive one, it does include sensitive topics such as domestic abuse between parent/child, sexual assault, and rape. Please keep this in mind before reading this story.

Mending Me is a meet-cute, strangers-to-lovers story that packs the heat but will also make you swoon. This story represents an interracial couple who help one another heal from their past and will give you the happily ever after you're looking for. It is an interconnected, stand-alone story and is the first book in The Nat. 20 Series!