Chapter One

Prologue

June 3rd, 2016

"Run, Lettie!" Nico's words rang out loudly, even as screams and panic echoed around me. Panic surged deep in my belly as I fumbled to pull my sweatshirt back over my head while stumbling toward him. His words didn't quite compute until I finally heard the wailing sirens and knew my time was up.

I took one last look at the bonfire, at the group of kids that scattered like rats as the red and blue lights flooded the warehouse, and, of course, his face. Nico's dark curls were heavy, falling into his eyes as he squeezed my hand momentarily. His eyes met mine, and I nodded. I'd only known him for a week, but I trusted Nico with my life.

"Go!"

It didn't hurt that I absolutely couldn't get caught, so I ran.

The night was oppressively hot. Sweat beaded and ran between my shoulder blades as I darted through the alley, stumbling over remnants of someone else's evening. My foot caught on a beer bottle, and I held my breath as it skittered across the rocky pavement, pinging off a forgotten dumpster.

Fuck.

Sirens filled the night sky, and I ran mindlessly, weaving through cardboard boxes and heaps of trash, regretting every choice that led to this night: every choice but one, of course. Nico Starling could never be a regret. I bit my lip as I spilled out onto the street, joining the crowds of people legally moving from one place to another. One particularly rowdy group of bar patrons stumbled out into the night, and I followed as close behind them as I dared, glancing back over my shoulder. My heart thumped wildly, and I forced myself to look as calm and law-abiding as possible—just another teenage girl walking down the sidewalk in Chicago.

Nothing to see here.

I hadn't run away from home, and I certainly didn't have a fake ID that we'd used to purchase most of the alcohol that was back in that warehouse we'd found to party in. Well, what was left of it, anyway. My fingers grazed over the phone in my pocket. I couldn't call. If he were hiding out, I'd give him away, but my blood thrummed in my ears, worry washing over me.

"Please don't have gotten caught," I whispered, praying under my breath as I waited for the crosswalk to tell me it was safe. This week, especially tonight, had been the best part of my seventeen years on this Earth. Honestly, I wouldn't have cared if Liam sent me back home after this. I knew he was getting fed up with his kid sister crashing on the floor of his room at Alpha Chi, but I'd had nowhere else to go, and the last few months had been terrible at home. Mom and Dad were fighting, and while I tried to stay out of it, it always seemed to spill over to me, no matter what I did. Finally, last week, I'd had enough. I packed a bag and took what I had left of my birthday money and the train here to Chicago. To Liam.

And, unknowingly, to Nico.

My body still tingled with the ghost of his kisses and more. I'd never gone all the way before, but something about Nico Starling was magnetic. Hell, I didn't believe in soulmates or any of that shit, not after seeing my parents' marriage disintegrate, but meeting Nico by chance felt fated. Cosmic. Destined.

It shook me, but in the best way. We just had to make it through tonight. He'd graduate in a few days, and I'd join him back in Chicago next fall for college, and we'd spend the rest of our lives together. Maybe I could come up and watch him play hockey.—not that far of a trip from St. Charles. The way his eyes lit up, sparkling with joy, as he spoke about the sport I knew nothing about had made me happier than I'd had any right to be. Of course, I'd come and see him play.

We just had to make it through tonight.

Crossing the street, I cradled my phone, waiting for it to light up with a call.