#Nerd

It started with unspoken animosity. The bitter bite of jealousy. And now it's full-blown hate. It was during my first football game that I felt the first chill of hate. I looked it right in the eyes and felt its sticky tentacles reach out for me. I'd never experienced something so cold and empty before. The effect of that look lingered, like an unspoken promise, long after it was gone. Becoming a couple, becoming the other half of a campus celebrity, wasn't easy.

Romeo and I were happy in love. The future stretched before us brighter than any star in the darkest sky. Now everything is broken. Literally broken. Romeo's entire career is at stake, my entire future is threatened.... And my past? It's coming back to haunt me. To haunt us. Romeo says we're in this together, and right now the only sure thing is us. But how far can a love so new be pushed?

She was the one girl I never wanted - until I had her. It was one night, one mistake, something we both wanted to forget. I got rid of the proof. The one piece of evidence that could remind us both. At least I thought I did. When it shows up on the school Buzzfeed, rumors fly. Friendships are tested, and the feels get real. I don't do relationships. I don't open my heart. Especially for a girl everyone knows I hate. What happens during spring break stays in spring break - until it follows you home.

I am a man who had nothing but found everything. I'll never go back to nothing ever again. I vowed to protect her, and that's exactly what I'm gonna do. The pictures I stumbled upon haunt me still; the secret I shoulder is heavy. They say secrets put distance between two people, but the truth is far more destructive than keeping it will ever be. I won't ever tell. She can't ever know.

Family isn't always defined by blood. Sometimes family is born of love, loyalty, and choice. Sometimes the bond that comes from someone having your back through the shittiest of times is stronger than anything you get from genetics, and sometimes you find that piece of your soul you didn't even know was missing. I'm a lucky guy like that. I found a love that will never fade. I found a group of people who aren't just my friends; they've become my family. There's only one place to go from here.

Happily-ever-after. That's what happens when you get married. Right? Turns out sparkly rings, cake, and a fantastic wedding do not automatically grant you that, not even when it's all you truly want. I'm even starting to doubt the bottomless, unconditional love I share with the man I married will be enough. I can't have happily ever after, know why? Because I can't give Romeo what he truly wants. I've tried. So hard. I won't be happy unless he is and something is missing. Someone.

Drew Forrester is a total adrenaline junkie. His high of choice? Cars. The faster, the better. He's been making waves in Maryland's underground racing circuit since he crossed the state line, and after speaking with him, we know he's not hitting the brakes anytime soon. So what exactly does it take to burn rubber and make a name for yourself in a world where the only rule is that there are no rules? You gotta be hungry. You gotta have balls. And you can never back down.

Here at GearShark, we're straddling that line to bring you exclusive coverage of what some have dubbed the war of racing. Every war starts with a spark and ends in revolution. Drew Forrester was the spark, but his second-in-command, Trent Mask, is the revolution. What does it take to stand brave in the face of opposition? Resolve of steel.... Stubborn will.... And a heart that refuses to give up.

There's a new kid in town, and he's hell on wheels. From what we've heard, it may be because he knows exactly what hell's like. Lonely. Scorching. Unforgiving. You may know his brother, the NRR hotshot (and former GearShark cover model) Lorhaven. It's only natural a driver with his background and family connections has sped his racecar into the newest, hottest division.

Ryker Voss. Football star. Walks on water and God's gift to women. Just ask him. He promises Penelope Graham, lover of sparkly vampires and calculus, he’ll win her the heart of the guy she’s been crushing on. His plan - good old-fashioned jealousy. Once her crush sees her kissing Ryker, he'll realize what he's missing. Penelope knows she shouldn’t trust a cocky jock, but what’s a girl to do when she needs help getting a date? And Ryker’s keeping a secret, another bet, one that will destroy Penelope’s heart forever.

No doubt about it, Sebastian "Oz" Osborne is the university's most celebrated student athlete - and possibly the biggest douchebag. A walking, talking cliché, he has a filthy mouth, a fantastic body, and doesn't give a sh-t about what you or anyone else thinks. Jameson Clarke may be the university's most diligent student - but she is no prude. Spending most of her time in the hallowed halls of the library, James is wary of pervs, jocks, and douchebags - and Oz Osborne is all three. She's smart, sarcastic - and not what he expected....

Four lives. Four stories. Four sets of letters. Four brave souls in need of guidance while facing life's greatest challenges. The anonymously published Dear Life program is designed to help them step outside of their comfort zones, face their obstacles, and relinquish their demons...and prove their existence.

Scarlett is always the sensible one: The sober driver. The planner. The one holding your hair back while you're worshiping the porcelain gods. Week-after-week, she visits Jock Row with her friends - the university's hottest party scene and a breeding ground for student athletes. And if keeping her friends out of trouble and guys out of their pants was a sport, she'd be the star athlete. Being a well known jock-blocker gets her noticed for all the wrong reasons; just like that, she's banned from Jock Row. No guy wants a girl around who keeps their jock friends from getting laid.  

Zeke Daniels isn't just a douchebag; he's an asshole. A total and complete jerk, Zeke keeps people at a distance. He has no interest in relationships - most assholes don't. Dating? Being part of a couple? Nope. Not for him. He's never given any thought to what he wants in a girlfriend, because he's never had any intention of having one. Shit, he barely has a relationship with his family, and they're related; his own friends don't even like him. So why does he keep thinking about Violet DeLuca? Sweet, quiet Violet - his opposite in every sense of the word.

A social experiment (a scary but exciting concept): marry a total stranger, live together for six months, and journal everything. Feelings. Fights. All of it. After six months, we each get $50,000 in exchange for our journals, whether we stay married or not. But the goal is to commit to the experience and see if the relationship experts could put together the perfect matches. I have never been lucky in love. This was my chance to find my soulmate. I couldn't wait to meet the man the experts felt was perfect for me.