0: Summary & Info
Nicolás Velez is done with casual sex.
Listen, yes, he might’ve fucked everyone in his flat within the first week of living in halls and had a respectable run on Grindr, but what eighteen-year-old wouldn’t? He’s almost twenty-four now, though, and sleeping with people who can't pronounce his name is, as his best mate would say, “not cute, baby girl”.
Problem: Nikki sucks at dating. In his defence, he really is trying his best. He even read dating advice to the eighth page of Google! (Would’ve read further too, but the suggestions started sounding more appropriate for the search “how to kidnap a woman?” so he reckoned it the time to quit.) Despite the effort, Nikki is about as successful on dates as Charlie Hides was on Drag Race: difficult to watch and definitely overstaying his welcome.
Josephine Rawlins is all about casual sex.
After the end of a seven-year relationship, Joe packs up the wreckage of her life in London and seeks new scenery in Manchester. Best way to get over someone is to get under someone new and Joe is ready for the slag phase she didn’t have at uni. Problem: Every time someone makes flirtatious eye contact across a respectable distance of six yards, she freaks out.
Solution: Practice together. Nicolás can help her bury her ex in physical pleasure and Josephine can teach him how to not come across as a serial murderer or the single parent to an angsty teen. And when they’ve each refined their skill sets, they’ll be free to pursue their deeply incompatible goals with other people. Practice makes perfect, right?
Unless Nicolás Velez is, simply, bad at love.
LOVE IS THE EASIEST THING IN THE WORLD WHEN IT HAPPENS BY ACCIDENT, BUT IT DOESN’T GET REAL UNTIL YOU DO IT ON PURPOSE
entergalactic (2022)
IT’S ONE THING TO BE LOOKED AT AND ANOTHER THING TO BE SEEN
caleb azumah nelson, open water
SOUNDTRACK
[spotify link in bio]
01. 20 SOMETHINGsza | 02.FEAR.kendrick lamar | 03.MARIA MARIAsantana | 04.DON’T LET GO (LOVE)en vogue | 05.SATIVAjhené aiko | 06.WILLING TO TRUSTkid cudi | 07.3005childish gambino | 08.IGUAL QUE UN ÁNGELkali uchis | 09.SWEET/I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO DANCEtyler, the creator | 10.PEGASUSarlo parks | 11.LOST IN LOVEbrockhampton | 12.FOTOS Y RECUERDOSselena
CONTENT WARNINGS: bi/panphobia (external only), parental neglect and parentification, police violence (non-explicit backstory only), trauma and PTSD. In secondary characters: abuse (in family and romantic relationships), addiction and misuse of alcohol and drugs (including self-medication), depression, disordered eating, OCD, religious trauma, schizophrenia, self-harm and suicidal ideation.
There will also be explicit sexual content.
Owning to the aforementioned, this story is rated mature.
AUTHOR’S NOTE: Hiya! Welcome to this book.
This book is primarily uploaded on Wattpad where my username is also mygoodbones. I have four other books uploaded over there as well, but I thought I'd toss this up on Inkitt as well to see what happens XD https://www.wattpad.com/user/mygoodbones
As a note, this story is written in the Mancunian dialect from the UK and thus will contain grammar and spelling features that are 'incorrect'. This is an intentional choice to show respect to the MCs culture and socioeconomic class but if that's an issue for you, then maybe just don't read this one.
This story is set in 2017-18.
Adding up all the side characters, I am writing plenty of things outside of my own experience here. I am very open to feedback about any of the representation aspects as I always want things to be authentic to the people depicted. If something is incorrect or offensive, I’d be grateful if you let me know so I can fix it.
Thanks for reading! I do hope you enjoy the book
Written 28 October 2023–25 July 2024
Published 1 April 2024–26 December 2024
136,397 words
All rights reserved. Any unauthorised use of this material is prohibited under copyright law. Any use of this work to train generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies is expressly prohibited.
