The Summer After: a post-apocalyptic hurt/comfort slow burn novella

By T.C. Mill

We were shy animals at heart, still.

Two vulnerable people find refuge with each other in this story with a slow, sensual, and emotional build.

She's been alone since her family disowned her, so the end of the world doesn't change much at first. As isolated as ever, she stays safe. Then he arrives at her remote farmhouse.

There's a lot he won't tell. His scars show he's survived unspeakable out there in the apocalypse. Even his name seems to be a painful secret. But he's gentle. She accepts his help and he accepts her hospitality.

As trust grows between them, so does desire. Intimacy risks unsettling the cozy balance they've built-and revealing more wounds. Can they find healing as survivors in a new world?

"The Summer After" was originally published in the SEAF 2018 Literary Art anthology. It's now available for the first time in ebook, revised and expanded while telling the same steamy slow burn hurt/comfort story.This 20,000-word story is for mature audiences only. It features explicit scenes between a sweet wounded hero and compassionate bisexual heroine who is learning to be more than self-reliant. A detailed content advisory is offered on the page before the table of contents and on the author's website.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0GRVS5Y7G
• ISBN13: 9798251267846
• Release Date: March 2026
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 76 Pages
• Weight: 0.18 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 5.0" x 8.0"