Four years ago...

It’s Friday night, and I find myself entering an unfamiliar sorority house where a supposedly wild party is happening. Even though I do need alcohol in my system, I don’t feel comfortable enough to hang out with a bunch of students I barely know—aside from Hansel, Faith, and Charlie. Not to mention, I should really be drowning in my books because I have a test coming up, and I can’t fail it, or my dad is going to give me the “you’re partying way too much, young lady” speech until I go deaf.

“Mily,” Faith exclaims as soon as she spots me stepping into the living room, where people are dancing and having the time of their lives.

“Hi,” I say, trying to sound cheerful—a sharp contrast to the deep scowl on my face and the sigh that escapes me a second later. “Why am I here again?” I ask, taking in my surroundings as loud music blasts from the stereo.

“You’re here because I invited you,” Hansel replies as he appears out of nowhere, throwing an arm around my neck and kissing my cheek. He reeks of alcohol, which is surprising, to say the least, considering he rarely drinks.

“What’s up with you?” I yell so he can hear me. Gosh, why is the music so loud? Don’t these people know it’s terrible for their ears?

“I’m drunk, duh,” he smirks, lifting the drink in his hand before taking another sip.

“What’s up with him?” I ask Faith, whose eyes are glued to a handsome guy I recognize from the basketball team.

“A girl turned him down about twenty minutes ago,” she explains, pointing to a beautiful girl chatting with the most breathtaking boy I’ve ever seen in my entire life. Oh—my—gosh. Who the hell is he, and how come I’ve never seen him around campus before?

“It’s her loss,” Hansel declares with a cocky grin, winking at Faith.

She cringes and laughs as she pushes him away. “Is it, though?” she jokes before grabbing my hand and pulling me toward the kitchen, where the drinks are. “What would you like to drink, Mily?”

“Beer will do,” I reply.

“Beer it is, then.” She pulls a can from the fridge and hands it to me, which I accept gratefully. “Why do you look so tense?” she wonders, pouring herself vodka mixed with a soft drink into a plastic cup.

“I don’t feel comfortable here,” I confess, practically draining half the beer in one gulp.

“Why not? This place and these people are pretty great.” Faith gestures around the room.

“How come Hansel is friends with girls from the sorority and the basketball team?” I change the subject, as I don’t want to admit out loud that being surrounded by popular students makes me uneasy—even though, for some reason, I always end up hanging out with them anyway.

“Have you seen Hansel? I mean, he is handsome, girl.” She giggles.

I don’t disagree; Hansel is attractive. Still, we’ve been friends for forever, and I’ve never seen him that way.

“Where is Charlie?” I ask, noticing the absence of the girl whose presence used to make me feel like shit back in Lancaster—mostly because she was always wrapped around Andrew.

“She’s upstairs with one of the jocks,” Faith replies casually.

“What?” I gasp, my eyes widening. “What happened to Andrew? Is she cheating on him?”

“Andrew broke up with Charlie last week, Mily. I thought you already knew that.”

“Really? Why? I thought they were endgame,” I say before lifting my beer and taking a sip, my brain trying—and failing—to process the idea of a single Andrew. 

No. No, no, no. I don’t care about that asshole anymore, and I definitely don’t give a shit why he broke up with Charlie after four years together.

“I have no idea, but I do know Charlie lost it,” Faith responds. “She burned his clothes, pictures, and gifts. She even left him a voicemail earlier today, calling him names I don’t want to repeat in public.”

“Wow…” I trail off, trying—and failing—to stop a stupid grin from forming on my lips. Even though I love Charlie, I can’t deny the strange sense of relief that comes with knowing Andrew is officially out of her life. Well, at least for now.

“Why are you smiling?” Faith studies me closely. “Don’t tell me you still have feelings for Andrew Keegan.”

“That’s absurd,” I scoff, hiding my face behind my beer can as I finish drinking the cold liquid and head toward the fridge for another.

“You need to get back into the dating game, Mily. You haven’t been with anyone since you broke up with Dylan, and that was two years ago. I still don’t understand why you put up with that idiot for so long,” she grumbles, rolling her eyes.

“Dylan was fun,” I retort in an attempt to defend myself, even though I know she’s right. Dylan was an idiot.

Now scowling deeply, Faith insists, “He cheated on you countless times.”

“And what about you?” I snap, annoyed by where the conversation is headed. “You’ve been single for forever.”

“For your information,” she smirks, “I met a very attractive stranger earlier today.”

“A stranger?” I arch an eyebrow, instantly intrigued.

“We met at the library, and one thing led to another… Let’s just say our encounter was memorable.” She blushes, fanning herself dramatically.

“You are naughty, Faith,” I tease, laughing.

“Speaking of which,” she mumbles just as an attractive guy approaches and pulls her into his arms, kissing her without hesitation.

“All right, then,” I mutter to myself, accepting my role as the third wheel. Meh. I’ll probably head back to my dorm once I finish my second beer.

As I wander through the house without any real purpose, I can’t shake how out of place I feel. Maybe it’s because I’m one of the few people here who isn’t drunk, or tangled up with a stranger, which, honestly, feels strange. I mean, I want to be like them… and yet, I don’t.

The next thing I know, I find myself on the second floor, searching for a random room where I can be alone with my thoughts and enjoy my drink without being shoved into walls by reckless souls who will regret everything once the hangover—and shame—hits tomorrow. Luckily, I stumble upon the master bedroom, and my gaze immediately drifts to the balcony. It looks so inviting that I can’t stop myself from stepping outside once I’m sure the room is empty.

Cold air wraps around me the moment I leave the warmth behind. I rest my elbows on the railing and look up at the sky, where stars twinkle brightly, as if they’re quietly promising to protect me from the ugly parts of the world. Even with the music thumping downstairs, I finally feel calm and content.

“I didn’t think I’d have to share the balcony at this hour.”

A male voice echoes behind me, shattering my moment of peace, instantly irritating me.

“Then why are you still here?” I scoff, not bothering to look at the intruder.

“Because I need air that doesn’t smell like alcohol and cigarettes,” he replies, his footsteps approaching me.

“I hate to break it to you, but I’m not leaving the balcony, dude,” I snort, doing my best to keep my temper in check.

“It’s fine.” He chuckles. “I’m sure we can share the space without killing each other.”

He stops beside me, resting his elbows on the railing just like mine. When he leans closer, I finally see his face—and I nearly forget how to breathe. He’s mouth-wateringly gorgeous. Like, he’s easily the most attractive guy I’ve ever seen. He’s also the same one I noticed earlier, talking to the girl who turned Hansel down.

“Yes, I believe so,” I agree, still slightly stunned. His blue eyes meet mine, his gaze so intense it feels like he can see straight through me.

He turns toward me, towering over me as he faces me fully. “I told you why I’m up here, and it’s only fair you tell me your reason too, don’t you think?” His lips curve into a lopsided smile, his light brown—almost blond—hair growing messier as a gust of wind swirls around us.

Watching him, I can’t help wondering if I’m standing in front of a freaking Greek god or something, because he’s so handsome my brain just short-circuits.

“So, why are you here?” he presses.

“I don’t feel comfortable downstairs,” I finally answer, shrugging.

“Do you go to NYU?”

“Yeah. You?” I avert my gaze because looking at him for too long feels dangerous.

“Same. Though I’d rather be at Juilliard.” He sighs, staring down at the people gathered around the pool.

“Oh?”

“I want to be an actor and a musician,” he admits. “My parents think it’s unrealistic, so I’m studying engineering instead, even though I don’t see myself working in that field.”

“I’m sorry about that. For what it’s worth, you definitely have the looks to pull off anything you want.”

“Which means…?” He gestures for me to continue.

I shake my head in response, refusing to elaborate.

He chuckles, his eyes still glued to me.

“Anyway,” I rush on, “I want to be a writer.”

“English Literature?” he guesses.

Before I can respond, he wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me against him. The move catches me off guard, but I don’t protest. Instead, I relax into the warmth, sliding my arms around him and pressing my face against his chest. It feels strangely natural for someone I’ve just met.

There’s something effortless between us, like we’ve known each other for forever, even though I don’t even know his name.

I murmur, “Who are you, and why do I feel so comfortable with you?”

He chuckles but doesn’t answer, letting the silence stretch between us beneath the stars. The moment feels magical, and I wonder if this is what it feels like to believe in love again.

“My name is Emily Sky,” I say softly.

“I’m Lucas Jackson,” he follows suit, tightening his hold just a little more.

* * *