Apartment 402: Hallways Talk Series

by Nadine Frye

Precious is tired of surviving. Growing up around gangs, poverty, and pain taught her one thing—either stay stuck or get gone. Leaving Larchwood behind feels like her only shot at a real life, but the streets don’t let people walk away easy.

Then there’s Defiance, a man who survived the streets and is now walking the straight and narrow. After the death of his son, Defiance wants to live in his honor. But did that life include a love that finds him when he was a lost soul looking for peace?

Their worlds intertwine in Apartment 402. A place of escape turns into something deeper than either of them. For every moment of peace, there is a past waiting to disrupt the flow. Precious will have to choose between going back to everything she once knew or trusting in the love she recently discovered. It all happens behind the walls of Apartment 402.

98 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 19, 2026

About the author

Nadine Frye was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA. Coming from the inner-city never stopped her ability to dream big. Being raised in a large family, they used their creative minds to have fun making plays and songs and any other things they could dare to dream. In Nadine's younger years you could see her head inside of a book more often than experiencing the outdoors.

In her teen years, a personal tragedy unleashed a world of sadness and hurt only Her notebook could understand. Songs and poems poured from her soul, and for years it was to feel the relief from her heart. She began sharing small things with her close circle of friends. It was their motivation and that of her mother and sisters that she shared her talent
with the world. That was the beginning of daring to dream.

She now resides in Washington, DC where she wears
many hats including Mother and Wife and she graciously adds the cap of author
to her line up.

Personal Quote

"Life is about evolving. Each day is a
journey, each year is a teacher, and every lesson should be applied."
-Nadine Frye

Reviews

[Taylor Chantáe]

This was a reminder to leave when someone show you the first time, they don’t love or respect you. Manipulation at its finest is what Gotti was a master of. Weaponizing your parent being gone to keep the relationship going the way you want it too. I’m so glad mama D made her leave & start over. She received the love she deserved. Defiance story was so sad but powerful. He didn’t sit in it for forever, he made a choice to keep moving forward. He was blessed tenfold & in memory of his son, he became a husband & a father on earth again. This was such a beautiful read !

[Darling Bae]

Well damn

This book was good, fast read and a happy ending.
I am glad she got her life and peace together.
Gotti, was a weird clown and you did the shady mess but wanted her to put up with it ....
I was glad Fyre, got another chance at fatherhood.

[La’Cara Johnson]

Precious lived the good life with her man who seemingly wasn’t the best of the bunch. Things took a turn and life took another path. It was an ok read a few typos and some parts I questioned but it was ok. 3.5

[Natoi]

APT 402

This was a cute & quick and sexy story showing sometimes you have to leave your past to find your present! Defiance was all that & then some for Precious.

[Sandra Lynn Jackson]

Good book, wish it was longer but overall a good review

[Just D]

Some Stories Feel Like Real Life
Nadine Frye has a writing style that pulls me in every time, and this book was no different.
Nothing about this story felt manufactured or overly dramatic. Precious and Defiance felt like real people carrying real pain, real hopes, and real baggage. Their journey felt lived in, which made it easy to get invested in what happened to them.
I especially loved how grounded everything felt. The emotions, the choices, the setbacks, the moments of hope...all of it felt believable.
Once I started reading, I didn't want to put it down. Every chapter gave me a reason to keep going, and before I knew it, I had flown through the whole thing.
A page-turner with heart, healing, and characters that stayed with me long after I finished.