Count on Me Series by Melyssa Winchester, Joey Winchester

There are people that tell you high school is the best time of your life. They lied. High school is horrible when you’re like me and you’re autistic. They think that because I don’t talk and I seem to always be lost in my own world, I’m stupid or deaf. Some even think I’m retarded. I’m none of those things and I don’t like that word. Just because I've got these issues, doesn't mean it’s all I am. There’s a lot more to me, but no one really takes the time to get to know it... moreThere are people that tell you high school is the best time of your life. They lied. High school is horrible when you’re like me and you’re autistic. They think that because I don’t talk and I seem to always be lost in my own world, I’m stupid or deaf. Some even think I’m retarded. I’m none of those things and I don’t like that word. Just because I've got these issues, doesn't mean it’s all I am. There’s a lot more to me, but no one really takes the time to get to know it. At least that’s how it was until Kayden. Kayden Walker is bad news. He spends his time making people that are different, like me, feel even worse about themselves and he does it with a smile. He’s everything I don’t need in my life, yet he’s the one person I can’t seem to live without. Underneath, there’s more to him that he’s afraid to let the rest of the world see. I've seen it and as I’m finding out, we’re not so different after all. less

**This is the second book in the Count On Me series of novels but can be read as a standalone as it features different main characters** There are people that believe because you may not appear the way they do, you’re somehow weaker or less worthy than they are. I’m living proof they’re wrong. For as long as I can remember I've been treated differently because I'm deaf... more**This is the second book in the Count On Me series of novels but can be read as a standalone as it features different main characters** There are people that believe because you may not appear the way they do, you’re somehow weaker or less worthy than they are. I’m living proof they’re wrong. For as long as I can remember I've been treated differently because I'm deaf. What people don’t realize, is just because I can’t hear the things they say, doesn't mean I don’t feel the pain that comes from their words and actions. I’m more than just a girl that can’t hear and I've never been more determined to prove it now that I've ended up here. Wexfield High School. I know what goes on here and I know even more about the guy who makes it all happen. Dillon Murphy is trouble with a capital T. He goes out of his way to hurt those he perceives to be weaker than him and does it with a smile. What he doesn't realize is that his tricks, they won’t work on me because I know his secret. As I’m finding out, there’s a lot more to Dillon then he wants the world to see and before my time here is up, I’m determined to make him see it, even if it costs me my heart in the process. less

**This is the third book in the Count On Me series but can be read as a standalone as it pertains to separate characters** Numbers. They’re significant. In my life each one meaning more than the one before it. Seven years. Two thousand, five hundred and fifty five days. That’s how long it’s been since I learned I have Asperger's Syndrome. Five years. One thousand, seven hundred and twenty days. How long I've been in therapy because of it. One random meeting... more**This is the third book in the Count On Me series but can be read as a standalone as it pertains to separate characters** Numbers. They’re significant. In my life each one meaning more than the one before it. Seven years. Two thousand, five hundred and fifty five days. That’s how long it’s been since I learned I have Asperger's Syndrome. Five years. One thousand, seven hundred and twenty days. How long I've been in therapy because of it. One random meeting. All it took for my world to be turned upside down and for me to learn that even in the worst human being, there’s a story to tell and sometimes, the cover to that story can be misleading. I’m Eric Carmen. She’s Amelia Evans and this is our story. less

**Due to the sexual nature of some of the scenes present in the book along with the language (which may offend some readers), it is recommended for ages 17 and up.** A father convicted of criminal mischief and sentenced to twenty years in prison. A mother who’s so lost in the bottom of a bottle of pills, most days I’m not even sure she knows her own name. You’d think with role models like that, I’d know what to avoid... more**Due to the sexual nature of some of the scenes present in the book along with the language (which may offend some readers), it is recommended for ages 17 and up.** A father convicted of criminal mischief and sentenced to twenty years in prison. A mother who’s so lost in the bottom of a bottle of pills, most days I’m not even sure she knows her own name. You’d think with role models like that, I’d know what to avoid. But if you know anything about me at all, nothing simple is ever really that simple. Cadence changed all of that. Making me feel and experience things that for the last eleven years I thought were only meant for fairy tales and dreams. She gave me my heart back, bringing hope and faith along for the ride, until all I could hear was her. She became my world, a beginning with no end, and it was so damn beautiful that I started to believe there was nothing that would ever tear us apart. Until something, or rather someone did. Me. I’ve been told that love isn’t about trying, failing and giving up when things get hard. That real love is continuing to try despite it, so just like a year ago, I’m going to do it again, and this time around our beginning will have an end. Cadence and Dillon together. Forever. I’m in the fight of my life and this time, I don’t plan to lose. less

Shattered glass. Red drops falling. A rustic scent, mixing with the smoke until it’s all I can smell. The loss of the only person that ever gave a shit about me. My reality. What I caused because I couldn't be what the rest of the world needed me to be. For letting the selfish part of me win and allowing myself to fall in love. I've been running as fast and as far away from the memory of that night as I can get, but no matter how far I go, I can never escape it... moreShattered glass. Red drops falling. A rustic scent, mixing with the smoke until it’s all I can smell. The loss of the only person that ever gave a shit about me. My reality. What I caused because I couldn't be what the rest of the world needed me to be. For letting the selfish part of me win and allowing myself to fall in love. I've been running as fast and as far away from the memory of that night as I can get, but no matter how far I go, I can never escape it. The last thing I want is someone new coming along and forcing me to do what I’ve spent the last two years ducking and dodging at every turn. Feeling, or even worse. Loving. Isaac Crawford is toxic and it has nothing to do with his inability to speak. He threatens everything I’ve spent the last two years trying to bury. His resemblance to my past is undeniable, bringing what should remain buried, alive again. And no matter how deep the urge is to flee, the need to stay fights back harder. Making the untouchable one impossible to turn away from. One look—one chance meeting in a conference room was all it took for him to get under my skin and now that he’s done it, there’s no turning back. The untouched is creating the unbroken. less

Every hero has a villain.It’s been that way since the beginning of time. If you’re looking for a present-day example, look no further than Batman. He had a slew of them, but my personal favorite was Harvey Dent. When you think about it, with the way my life has been, I could easily be considered his far more evil brother. The only real difference between us? I have more faces than two.You see, monsters aren’t born, they’re created... moreEvery hero has a villain.It’s been that way since the beginning of time. If you’re looking for a present-day example, look no further than Batman. He had a slew of them, but my personal favorite was Harvey Dent. When you think about it, with the way my life has been, I could easily be considered his far more evil brother. The only real difference between us? I have more faces than two.You see, monsters aren’t born, they’re created. And just like every villain who has come before me, I’m not going anywhere. Not even when faced with my biggest challenge yet. Jail.I’m not walking away until they all pay for what they turned me into. The monster with so many faces, he has no real face at all. less