Escape For Christmas

Emilie: Baylor College of Medicine was supposed to be my escape, my chance to prove I'm more than just another small-town Texas girl. Instead, Dominic turned my dream into a nightmare of manipulation and emotional abuse. His toxic words became chains I couldn't break, even after I ended things.

I swore off relationships - they're too messy, too distracting from my goals. The copper-haired Scotsman makes me believe that things will be okay again, eventually. I can't stop thinking about the way his eyes light up when we discuss medical research, or how he makes me feel safe when he's near. When Dominic corners me in the Walker Ranch barn, my Scottish knight in his tartan kilt changes everything. He's nothing like I expected and everything I never knew I needed.

Charlie: One moment shattered everything I thought I knew - my girlfriend tangled with my best mate in our shared flat. The betrayal sends me fleeing across the Atlantic to my sister's place in Texas, running from any whispers and sideways glances at Dundee University. My mum's inevitable questions would've been worse than finals.

Then I met Emilie at the Christmas Committee, and suddenly, medicine wasn't the only thing making my pulse race. For the first time, I found someone who challenges both my mind and heart. She makes me question everything - including whether an ocean between Dundee and Houston is really an insurmountable distance for two aspiring surgeons. I've always struggled to understand relationships, but with Emilie, everything finally falls into place.