Eryn Peters is a sly scandal-slayer whose enemy's revenge leaves her in a sloth-driven slump. Simeon King is a diligently dapper sports agent whose client's dastardly scandal leaves him needing his ex-girlfriend's help. Decisions made in their youth derailed Eryn and Simeon's future together, leaving them both to wonder, what if? Years later, more mature, they get a chance to right their wrongs, but will they see it as too much of a gamble to try again? Or did they hurt each other too much to recognize their second chance at love?ERYN PETERS"It's been over a decade, and I'm still not sure how Simeon and I ended up here... separated and, as exes. It just seems like one day; I woke up from a dream of us living happily ever after together, only to find us suddenly over. Emphasis on suddenly. Analyzing our relationship's trajectory is never work I'd volunteer to do. What's the point? It's not like I can change what happened. Simeon will probably never understand the decision I made was the only sensible one for us. Everyone wants to know why things ended and why I hate discussing it. But to tell them, I'd also have to tell them my secret, possibly even defend it? And why would I do that? It's unnecessary work, fruitless labor, and I'm not up for the task. Our reconnecting, though unplanned, unearthed feelings I forgot I had for him. Now, with Simeon back in my life needing me as much as I need him, I'm wondering... what if it's worth the work to fix what we broke?"SIMEON KING"I'm sure about many things in my life. Trusting Eryn isn't one of them anymore. Hasn't been for over a decade. Despite that, I've been searching for a reason to get us in the same room, or at least on the same phone line for two years, since her brother gave me a way back in. Though the reason for our reconnecting isn't ideal, I can't help looking forward to sharing space with her again... even as exes. I've had visions of us reuniting, dreams as vivid as the ones I had of our happily ever after, before she made her brash decision. And that led me to make a brash decision of my own. She'd rather avoid the conversation we need to have than do the work necessary for us to heal. My secret is I have never stopped loving Eryn. I know it'll take work to get us to a place where we can move past the past, but I already know Eryn won't be up for the task. That kind of work just isn't her thing. Our reconnecting unearthed feelings I'd buried and are now resurfacing. But I'm not sure she'll meet me halfway to fix what broke between us... even if she knew the effort would be worth it."Among the seven deadly sins, sloth is considered a sin of omission. It represents neglecting responsibilities and disengagement from life because of avoidance and a lack of motivation. Sloth is more than just laziness; it's a lack of effort, regardless of difficulty, and a withdrawal from what fosters fulfillment and growth, including healing. Sloth opposes diligence, which embodies persistence, significant action, and the willingness to do what is right and just, even if it requires immense effort.Can the diligent one, motivated by love, cure a slothful heart with love-driven effort and dedication? Or will the work needed to infuse life with purpose and perseverance be seen as a losing hand requiring too much effort to win with love?
