The Healing — Kassandra Kush

Devastated by the loss of her father, Evie is floundering, drowning, and reaching out desperately for a lifeline -- and finding absolutely nothing to cling to. Still unable to come to terms with the death of his sister, Zeke is going on mindlessly, with no thought of tomorrow, only living in the now and trying furiously to bury and deny his emotions. Two people who have both lost and suffered so much can only ignore each other's pain for so long before seeing the similarities in what they are feeling. As Evie clings to Zeke as the one thing that makes her feel safe and grounded, Zeke can't deny that she's the one person who makes him feel -- and feel emotions that he's not sure he wants to push away. Against both their better judgment and wishes, Evie and Zeke begin sharing their problems and grief, and they discover things that startle both of them; understanding. Empathy. Affinity. Compassion. And maybe, if they are willing to dig deep enough and try hard enough and trust enough, the most important thing of all. Healing.