BLAST, BLITZ, PROMOS, REVEALS, & TOURS . . . : NEW RELEASE - NA CONTEMPORARY

Trusting My Friend

by Amanda Martinez

Release Date: April 5th 2021

Cover Design: Emily Wittig

Genre: New Adult Clean Romance

After a difficult and traumatic high school experience, Alexia Jamieson is finally ready to head off to college, getting away from her parents and living her own life. Not only did she suffer an assault, she was bullied by people she thought were her friends.

Kayden Owens has always known Alexia has been his best friend and losing her for a few years didn’t change his feelings. Showing up at the same university, states away from their hometown, he tries to reconnect with her. In doing so, he finds out she is already dating another and seemingly moving on.

As she begins to reconnect with Kayden, Alexia struggles over her feelings of dating another guy and having her best friend back in her life; things seem different than they once were, leaving her conflicted.

With the possibility of a relationship at stake, Alexia and Kayden need to overcome what was in the past, including the trust issues that have resurfaced for her. As a love triangle starts to develop, Alexia has a decision to make if she wants her best friend by her side.

Once the bell rings, I grab my bag and head out the door, turning to go outside to hang out with friends during lunch. I practically run through the halls, not even stopping at my locker to put my books away. I don’t watch where I am going and suddenly, I’m stepping backwards to avoid falling.

“Ow.” I hear a girl say. “Watch where you’re going,” she mumbles before stepping around me.

As she’s walking away, I turn around to see Alexia Jamieson, the richest girl in school. She’s changed. When we got back from winter break during our freshman year, she came back with shorter hair and it had been a dark red, such a difference from the long, light brown hair it had originally been. Her hair is still red, but it’s longer now, and I see a streak of dark blue hidden under the curls.

Alexia was the head cheerleader and popular girl in our friend group at the beginning of freshman year, but then something changed—not only her hair, but something else—and she stopped hanging out with us and dropped cheerleading. I noticed that everyone in our group started being mean to her and bullying her. Why? I have no fucking clue.

As though she feels me staring, she turns around and starts walking back toward me.

“What is your problem? You practically run into me and then don’t even apologize and then you stare at me?” She waits for a second for an answer, but I don’t even get a chance to say anything when she starts talking again. “What happened Owens? Cat got your tongue? Do you even know who I am or are you like everyone else who just calls me names?”

She is on the verge of tears and yelling. I am so glad everyone is at lunch and nobody can see this exchange.

“Lexi,” I start saying quietly while lifting my hand up towards her. She shies away and I drop my hand.

“Don’t call me that,” she snaps at me.

I don’t know what to say. She closes her eyes and I can see tears in the edges. She turns on her heels and runs away from me, not giving me a chance to talk.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper into the air, knowing she doesn’t hear me.

Amanda is a Colorado native who hates the snow and loves the heat. She loves spending time inside with a book in her hands, music in her ears, or Netflix playing on the TV while she crochets or writes. Her cat Luna is her baby and doesn't care for cuddles, but loves laying on fuzzy blankets on Amanda's lap.

Amanda started blogging in high school when she was introduced to the indie author community, connecting with authors on Facebook until she finally got to meet them at UtopiaCon in 2015. She started writing in high school to get the words out of her head and onto paper.

Amanda graduated from Southern New Hampshire University in December 2020, with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Creative Writing. She writes about realistic issues and includes anxiety, depression, along with other situations within her novels, wrapped into New Adult Romance novels. Trusting My Friend is her debut novel.