Little Pieces of Light by Emma Scott

From USA Today and Wall St. Journal bestselling author Emma Scott comes an all-new emotional, angsty coming-of-age love story perfect for fans of Jennifer Hartmann and Laura Nowlin.
At ten years old, they promised each other forever.
But his letters never came. And her heart never healed.
Seven years later, Xander Ford returns to Castle Hill Academy, broken by grief and hiding behind logic, rowing, and the weight of caring for his sick father. He never stopped thinking of Emery Wallace, the kind girl who once saw him when no one else did.
Emery looks perfect on the outside: wealthy, popular, untouchable. But behind the flawless mask is a girl unraveling under her father’s ruthless expectations and her mother’s drowning grief.

When fate pulls them back together, the connection they shared as kids flares into something undeniable and impossible to ignore. Emery shows Xander that people, like light, can be both shattered and whole. And Xander gives Emery a reason to believe in herself again.
But their love faces obstacles they can’t control—family expectations, broken promises, and the cruel truth that not everyone wants them together.