It had begun to drizzle when the plane touched down at Reagan National Airport.

Ominous, gray storm clouds loomed in the distance, promising a downpour. The small screen on the headrest in front of Taliana proclaimed the current temperature outside was a sweltering ninety degrees, an average number for DC in August, and also what turned a little rain into a massive thunderstorm. Those summer storms were one of the things she’d missed after moving to LA, since the rolling thunder and bright cracks of lightning had always lulled her to sleep at night.

It was comforting to see the first strike splash across the sky as she strolled through the terminal, though she was glad she hadn’t been stuck in the air during the storm. However, when she turned away from the windows and began her trek toward the baggage claim where her father was supposed to be waiting, any sense of calm disappeared as reality set in.

Gone was the dry heat and drama of LA. Gone was her mother and the home Taliana had lived in for the past seven years. And gone was Lia Colton-Avilla, the name Taliana had taken and the girl she had become upon moving there.

This was her chance for a fresh start, to be Talia Avilla again, just as she had been so many years ago. She’d been wanting that back for so long, but now that she was there, she wasn’t so sure anymore.

Taliana didn’t linger on the subject for fear she would turn around and get on the next flight back to LA, but she wasn’t a wimp. She could do this.

At least, she hoped she could.

With a heavy sigh, Taliana adjusted the strap of her carry-on bag on her shoulder and trudged forward, scanning the crowd for the familiar face of her father.

Charles Avilla wasn’t hard to miss. He still sported the same meticulously combed dark hair, a jaw that could have cut steel, and calculating ice-blue eyes that Taliana had snagged from the gene pool. Her pace quickened, gently nudging people out of her way, and it wasn’t until she was a few feet from him that she caught his eye. The look was fleeting, but he immediately did a double take.

“Talia?”

The laugh she’d been holding back finally surfaced when she reached him. “It’s me, Dad.”

A smile finally broke out across his face, the corners of his eyes crinkling, the only indication of his age. Before Taliana could even comprehend what was happening, he pulled her to him in a bone crushingly tight hug, and the familiar scent of his cologne flooded her nose.

Taliana hesitated briefly before bringing her arms up as well and hugging him back, her own shock slowly fading. It felt like an eternity before he pulled away, his grin wider than before.

“My firstborn is all grown up,” he teased, his hands locked firmly on Taliana’s upper arms as he looked her over. Charles let out a soft, disbelieving chuckle before shaking his head and letting Taliana go.

She couldn’t help grinning back at him. “And you’ve gotten old, Dad.”

A booming laugh came from him, causing a few people to look over in surprise. But Taliana’s father paid them no mind. He simply draped an arm over her shoulders and continued to grin. “Still got your charming sense of humor, I see.”

“Mom always tells me I got it from you,” Taliana chuckled as he guided her toward the baggage carrousel.

After grabbing her oversized suitcases—she still couldn’t believe she’d packed practically her entire life away in them—her father nodded toward the exit, a silent command for her to follow him.

A hot breeze brushed over her cheeks, gently stirring the dark hairs that had slipped out of her ponytail as they stepped outside into the rain. While she’d been half expecting to see her mother’s black Mercedes idling in front of the terminal, she wasn’t surprised to see a massive SUV instead, especially when a petite blonde woman hopped out and bounded up onto the sidewalk.

“Talia, sweetheart!” Katherine greeted, rushing toward her with arms spread wide. “It’s so good to see you!”

That time Taliana was semi-prepared for the impending hug, but she hadn’t anticipated the sheer force of it. Her stepmother may have been tiny, but what Katherine lacked in height she certainly made up for in affection. She practically threw herself at Taliana, arms wrapping tightly around her waist. It was a slightly uncomfortable position, seeing as her cheek was pressed firmly against Taliana’s not-so-ample chest, thanks to the fact that she stood a good ten inches taller than Katherine. The last time Taliana had seen her, they’d been practically the same height, although she’d had an inch or two on Katherine’s five-foot frame even back then. Apparently, Taliana had grown more than she thought.

Katherine leaned back a moment later and beamed up at Taliana, brown eyes sparkling with joy. “We missed you so much.”

And then Taliana was pulled into yet another one of those motherly hugs as she awkwardly patted Katherine’s back.

There was no denying that Katherine was the complete opposite of Taliana’s mother. While Andrea was constantly calm, cool, and collected, Katherine was bubbly and unafraid to show what she felt. Taliana had always enjoyed the weekends she got to spend with her father and stepmother when she was younger, just because it was nice to be with someone who wasn’t afraid to have fun. She and Katherine had gone to the zoo and made funny faces at the monkeys, splashed around in the ocean on their annual trip to the beach, and ordered every type of flavor available at Thomas Sweet Ice Cream. For a stepmother, she was the best anyone could have ever asked for. Taliana certainly knew she had lucked out in that department.

After a few more uncomfortable seconds, she released Taliana and ushered her toward the car, opening the back door for her and shutting it once Taliana had clambered inside. A flash of white-blonde hair caught Taliana’s attention as she settled in, causing her to turn and look at the two girls sitting in the third row.

Had it been under any other circumstances, she probably wouldn't have recognized the twins. They’d been towheaded kids the last time she’d seen them, and while their platinum-blonde hair hadn’t darkened a single shade, they certainly didn't look like the tomboys she remembered. No, the sixteen-year-olds looked more like the fashionistas Taliana’s mother wished she could’ve been.

Vanessa was the first to notice Taliana’s presence, momentarily glancing up from the phone she’d been furiously messaging away on. She flashed Taliana a quick smile before elbowing her sister gently, causing her to look up from her own phone as well.

“Hey, Talia,” Marissa said before returning her attention to her phone. “Glad to have you back.”

And that was the only greeting Taliana got from them. Fine with her. Despite being relatively close in age, she and the twins had never really had much in common or run in the same circles. And after she’d left for LA, they hadn’t done much but share a few “happy birthday” messages via social media for the ensuing years. They may have been half siblings, but they certainly hadn’t bonded. Though Taliana had to admit, she hoped that would change.

Her gaze returned to the front of the car where her soaked father had just slid into the driver’s seat. “It’s a monsoon out there,” he complained, hair plastered against his forehead. “I can’t wait for summer to end.”

Taliana glanced out the window, enjoying the sudden onslaught of water. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen rain like this.” She was almost tempted to stick her hand out the window, but she held back.

“I suppose you don’t get much rain in LA,” Katherine conceded, swiping her damp forehead with the back of her hand.

Taliana kept her eyes on the window as the car pulled away from the curb. “We’re lucky to get an inch this time of year. It’s usually just hot and dry.”

“I think I’d take that any day over this humidity,” Charles said, glancing in his mirror before changing lanes and entering the highway. “Are you glad to be back?”

Taliana hesitated before answering, not sure if she really was or not. Sure, she was glad to be away from the drama of LA and glad for the current thunderstorm, but she’d only been in DC for less than twenty minutes. That definitely wasn’t enough time to decide if she was happy to be back in a city she hadn’t visited in several years.

“Yeah,” Taliana lied, flashing them a small smile. “It’s good to be back.”

Soon the conversation turned to things that were going on in their everyday lives. Taliana tuned in for a while, but her attention diverted once they crossed over one of the many bridges and finally entered the city she could call home again.

Though she’d been exposed to the sights of DC since the day she was born, she couldn’t help but admire how beautiful it truly was. The Potomac River was probably even more polluted than it had been years ago, but it still seemed to sparkle. And while the Washington Monument was barely visible through the thick sheet of rain, it seemed whiter and brighter than Taliana remembered.

Her eyes were practically glued to the window as they slowly made their way through the evening traffic, and before long, they entered familiar territory. Georgetown was a section of DC that had always been synonymous with money and power, seeing as it was one of the oldest and most expensive areas in town. Plenty of influential people from the government and society lived in the Italianate row houses that lined the narrow streets, and while the homes may have looked diminutive from the outside, the insides tended to be huge. Well, the Avilla household was at least.

“Home, sweet home!” Katherine sang as the car came to a halt in front of the house.

The five of them climbed out of the SUV and grabbed whatever they could before making a mad dash to the front door. They all took a moment to shake off the rain in the foyer before Charles nodded toward the staircase.

“Come on, Talia,” he said. “Let’s get your bags upstairs.”

Katherine flashed her a warm smile before Taliana turned away and followed her father upstairs, struggling slightly under the weight of the massive bags. Eventually, she made it up to the second-floor landing and dragged herself down the hallway until she caught up with her father, who was standing in front of Taliana’s old room.

“Everything should be the same,” he told her, glancing inside as she approached. “I couldn’t bring myself to pack up your stuff when you moved away with your mother.”

One step inside revealed he wasn’t lying. Posters of old boy bands adorned the walls, stuffed animals sat on top of the dresser, and she could swear there were glow in the dark stars on the ceiling. It was practically a shrine to her childhood in there, which was slightly embarrassing. Taliana quickly decided that everything would have to go soon. Very soon.

“Thanks, Dad.” She chuckled, scanning the room one more time. “It’s just the way I remember it.”

“Should be.” He reached out to ruffle her hair like he’d always done when she was younger. His hand drifted down to her cheek momentarily before he let it drop completely and glanced at his watch. “Go ahead and relax for a bit; I know you’ve had a long trip. Dinner will be at seven.”

Taliana nodded and waited until he left the room to change out of her wet clothes and collapse on the bed, exhausted from the flight and worrying about how her new life was going to be.

But so far, she couldn’t complain. Things were looking good, and all she could do was hope they’d stay that way.

***

Sebastian was unsure of how many times he’d sneaked out of the hotel rooms of random girls, but the number was now one higher than it had been yesterday.

As he stood under the promenade that led to the entrance of The Ritz-Carlton in Georgetown, he questioned what the hell he was doing. He knew he’d become a bit of a womanizer, but when had it gone this far? It certainly hadn’t always been like this.

For a while, he’d been into relationships with meaning, not one-night stands—or two-hour stands in this case—with random girls. But since he’d had his heart served to him on a silver platter, this had become his new normal.

The thought of his most recent heartbreak was enough to make his stomach churn with misery, and no number of new girls had been able to soothe that feeling either. Luckily, he was spared from thinking about what had happened and what he had become when a sleek, red Ferrari pulled to the curb in front of him. Sebastian only knew of one person in the city who drove such a flashy car, and any doubt as to who was in the driver’s seat disappeared when the window rolled down.

“Need a ride?” Michael drawled as he stared at Sebastian with a half-disdainful, half-amused expression.

“I’d love one,” he grumbled, yanking open the door and quickly sliding inside to avoid getting drenched by the torrential downpour. “You owe me fifty bucks, by the way.”

“Well, damn.” Michael playfully slapped the steering wheel as he navigated the car down the narrow street. “I was convinced there was no way that shade could have been natural.”

Sebastian let his eyes shut as he leaned his head against the cool window, though part of him was vaguely amused. Leave it to this guy to cheer him up. “We’re not having this conversation.”

He could sense Michael’s sparkling hazel gaze on him. “Since when do you kiss and not tell?”

“Since I realized you don’t need a play-by-play of my sex life.” His eyes drifted back open when the car took a sharp left turn. “Where are we going?”

“Cool Beans,” Michael replied, referencing the coffee shop that had been their hangout since they’d been freshmen almost three years ago.

Sebastian’s heavy eyes scanned the streets, watching women in high heels avoid puddles while men in khaki shorts and colorful polos ducked into stores to avoid the menacing bolts of lightning. “Are Jacob and Marcus going to be there?”

“Marcus was the one who wanted to meet,” Michael responded, shifting gears with ease as traffic slowed. “He didn’t sound too happy about something.”

Sebastian snorted softly. “That's nothing new.”

The conversation lapsed into an amicable silence until the car came to a halt in front of the quaint coffee shop five minutes later. Sebastian entered the dimly lit space first, letting his eyes adjust for a moment before searching the room for the familiar faces of his other two best friends.

It took no time at all to pick out a gloomy Marcus Patterson and an utterly stoned Jacob Weston sitting at their normal table in the back corner of Cool Beans. After a quick nod to Michael to follow him, Sebastian slid past the other tables and dropped into the oversized armchair between his friends.

Jacob was the first to glance up from his coffee cup, though it looked like he had just been gazing into its murky depths as if it held the answers of the universe. His red-rimmed eyes only confirmed Sebastian's suspicion that he'd partaken in a certain substance recently, and the relaxed smile on his lips made Sebastian wish he'd had some as well.

Jacob raised his coffee cup in greeting before bringing it to his lips and taking a sip. Sebastian took this time to focus on Marcus, who was frowning as if someone had just taken away his favorite teddy bear.

“Why the long face, sweetheart?” Michael questioned, beating Sebastian to the punch. “Mommy tell you Santa isn’t real?”

Marcus scowled and pushed a chocolate curl out of his eyes of the same color. “No,” he mumbled, playing with the pack of cigarettes in his hand. Marcus may have been a good boy when it came to school, dating, and responsibilities, but his one vice was smoking. “It’s worse than that.”

“What happened?” Sebastian prompted, signaling to their usual barista to bring him a latte.

Marcus heaved a sigh and settled his hands in his lap. “You remember Zak, right?”

Sebastian had to rack his brain for a moment, but a face finally came to the name. “Zak? Your cousin from California with all the tattoos and so many piercings he could pass for Swiss cheese?”

The curly-haired boy grimaced, his fingers tightening around the pack of smokes. “Yeah. Him.”

Sebastian paused when the barista brought his drink, and he slipped her a generous tip as always, causing her to blush. He waited until she was gone before speaking again. “What about him?”

“He’s coming to live with us,” Marcus revealed. “Apparently his parents couldn’t handle him anymore and thought my mother could knock some sense into him.”

Jacob let out a bark of laughter, throwing his head back so his long, auburn hair fell away from his forehead. “Yeah, good luck with that. That guy is batshit nuts.”

“I don’t know,” Michael mused. “Victoria could probably handle him. She can instill fear in even the bravest hearts.”

Sebastian shuddered at the thought of Marcus’s mother. Senator Victoria Patterson ruled her home and represented her state with an iron fist. She was the main reason Marcus had turned out as a practically perfect child, seeing as her only son was too afraid to ever go against her wishes. Sebastian didn’t really blame him either. With her power suits and steely glare, even he knew not to get on Senator Patterson’s bad side.

“When is he going to be here?” Sebastian questioned, cupping the warm mug in his hands.

“Saturday afternoon.” Marcus’s look of dissatisfaction remained. “And my mother wants me to bring him to your party so he can make friends.”

Sebastian paused before his cup reached his lips, his eyes swinging up sharply. “Who is she to invite someone to my party?”

“The devil,” Michael answered, rolling his eyes as he kicked his feet up on the table. “But it doesn’t seem like there’s anything you can do about this, unless you really want to take it up with Victoria.”

Sebastian shut his mouth.

“My thoughts exactly.”

Sebastian slouched farther down in his seat. “I swear, if he even considers making a scene, I’m going to—”

The obnoxiously loud chirp of a phone interrupted his threat, and Sebastian shot a glare at its owner. Michael paid the look no mind as he slipped a hand into the pocket of his jeans and produced it a moment later, a loud laugh escaping his lips once he read the text on the screen.

“Oh, that’s a good one,” he snickered, looking up at Sebastian a few seconds later. “You won’t believe who’s back.”

“Please don’t tell me it’s some dumb celebrity here to see the president,” Marcus groaned. “All those Hollywood assholes just need to stay on the west coast where they belong.”

“Nope,” Michael replied, fingers flying over the screen. “Guess again.”

It was Jacob's turn. “The son of that ambassador who incessantly hit on Sebastian that time at the zoo?”

There was no missing Michael’s amusement this time, which was punctuated with a loud snort. “I wish. But no.”

Sebastian lazily flipped his friend the finger. “Who is it, Michael?”

“You’re going to love this one, Seb,” he said, a smirk sliding over his lips. “It's Taliana Avilla.”

Sebastian choked on his coffee, causing Marcus to pat him hard on the back. After the coughing spell passed, he stared at his friend in shock.

“You mean Stick Girl?” he questioned incredulously. “What the hell is she doing back here?”

Michael’s phone beeped again. “I’m hearing different things from different people,” he said, continuing to read, “but word is that she tried to kill some guy in California and now she’s coming back here to live with her father to get away from it all. Stupid rumor, but considering her history, I might actually believe it.”

Jacob ran a hand through his hair, the rings snagging a few strands. “That psycho just needs to be institutionalized.”

Marcus grunted his assent. “I second that motion.”

If it was possible, Sebastian would’ve passed the motion and thrown her in the nearest maximum-security prison where she deserved to be. After what happened in sixth grade and their run-ins before that, he wanted her as far away from him as possible. Knowing she was in the same city made him feel slightly on edge, not to mention nauseated.

Hopefully he’d never have to see her sorry face again.