The Things We Take: A Second Chances Novel by Shelly Nosbisch

Stealing is easy. Facing the truth is harder. Rory never planned to get caught. Taking things—small things, meaningless things—has always been how she stays in control. When everything else feels too loud, too messy, too much… she takes. And for a moment, it works. Until it doesn’t. After one mistake goes too far, Rory is forced into community service at a local thrift store—the last place she wants to be. But it’s there she meets Mae: confident, sharp, and impossible to fool. Mae sees through Rory’s excuses almost immediately… and doesn’t let her hide behind them. The more time they spend together, the harder it becomes to keep her distance. Because Mae isn’t just a distraction—she’s a risk. As Rory’s carefully managed world begins to unravel, so do the truths she’s been avoiding: the pull she can’t seem to resist, the feelings she doesn’t fully understand, and the fear of what happens if anyone finds out. Read more