A deeply emotional contemporary novel about hidden anxiety, unspoken love, and the fragile balance between charm and collapse- perfect for readers who love character-driven stories about friendship, grief, and the courage to face what we’ve been avoiding. Twenty-five-year-old Mark Hayes has wings. Wings that soar him away from his problems and drown out the swirling anxiety in his head. He’s the life of every party, always sporting an infectious smile. But what’s beneath those wings and behind those bright green eyes? Over the last five years, Mark has been pining for his best friend. He’s finally confessed his love to her, only to be rejected. The same week he finds out his mother is sick. When he moves to Boston to help take care of her, he decides to frame it as the perfect escape; now he doesn’t have to face any of the drama he’s leaving behind. Yay for convenient avoidance! Mark keeps himself happily distracted by charming new friends and landing his dream job as head chef at an up-and-coming bistro. There’s only one problem . . . The best friend (the one he’s desperate to stop thinking about) flies three thousand miles to see him—showing up at his doorstep unannounced. Mark is trying to act like he’s not hanging onto life by a thread, but this might just be the thing that makes him finally snap. Can this golden boy keep his wings steady as he flies above the mess he’s become a master at avoiding? Blending humor, emotional honesty, and deeply layered relationships, Breaking Beneath Emerald Waves continues the story of friendship, love, and personal reckoning introduced in Waves the Color of Onyx . Told from dual points of view, readers will love the glimpse into Mark’s coping mechanisms—as charm, friendship, and heartbreak collide in unexpected ways.