She was running from the past.

He was carrying the dead on his back.

Neither expected to find love in the wreckage.

After escaping her abusive ex, Erin has nothing left but the clothes on her back, the trauma she hides, and the son she'd do anything to protect. A domestic violence shelter is her last safe haven. Trust is a luxury she can't afford, not anymore.

James Cole is a Marine with nothing but ghosts. The war took his brothers, left him breathing, and buried him in guilt so heavy he doesn't know how to come up for air. He isn't looking for redemption. He isn't looking for anything at all.

But fate has other plans.

When their lives collide in a quiet Ohio town, what begins as cautious glances and broken conversations slowly becomes something more. Erin sees the pain James tries to hide. James sees the strength behind Erin's fear. And her little boy, Jamie, sees a hero in the man who never meant to become one.

But healing isn't simple. Love doesn't erase the past.

And some endings come too soon.

Inspired by a true story, Stay With Me is a heartbreaking, unforgettable love story about survival, sacrifice, and the kind of love that stays with you long after the final page.