After a brutal attack at college, I return home to heal over the summer.

Enter Silas: a former MMA champion with a scowl as permanent as his tattoos. Taking self-defense lessons from him feels like a step in the right direction.

With every training session, our bond strengthens, turning pain into passion and doubt into self-confidence. Before long, our self-control unravels and we cross lines we shouldn’t.

But my emotional wounds linger longer than the physical ones. How can I move beyond my tragic past to embrace the future I deserve?