Cassidy Greene didn't come home to fall in love with a tattooed bad boy. She came to escape—her broken art career, her cheating ex, and the haunting fear that she'll never be more than a cautionary tale. But when a spontaneous visit to a local tattoo shop leads to an unexpected job offer, she finds herself face-to-face with Zane Carter—inked, guarded, and far too tempting for her own good. Zane doesn't do commitment. He keeps his past buried beneath black ink and silence. But Cassidy's art wakes something in him he thought he lost—a hunger for more than just survival. As they collaborate on a mural that forces them both to confront their scars, the tension between them turns electric. But trust doesn't come easy. And when old wounds reopen and new opportunities threaten to pull them apart, they'll have to decide if love is worth the risk—or just another mess waiting to happen. Can a girl who ran from her dreams and a man who runs from his pain find something worth staying for?