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Prologue

New Year’s Eve

I only have one New Year’s resolution, and it’s the same I’ve had for six years now:

Make Blake Callahan fall madly, deeply, and uncontrollably in love with me

Every year, I write it in big block letters on the first page of my new journal, and every year, I finish out Dece oing to make it happen

“Happy New Year!”

Noise floods througharoundbeachfront mansion Music plays so loud I can feel it in hing, getting ready for that ht kiss

I check ht My heart beats faster If I’ to do this, I need to do it now

I pour myself a shot of bourbon from the bar and down it with a shudder Then I scan the roo into hiot ready with the girls I toldimpact, but I know, deep down, it’s nerves

I haven’t laid eyes on him in two years Not since—

No, I stopanother shot before I can relive the past I knock it back, feeling the alcohol war me brave

It’s now or never

I slip through the crowd, looking for his falint of blonde hair and that chiseled jawline that always belonged on the front cover of aDon’t bottle it now, Zoey, I orderevery face—

There he is

My pulse kicks He’s in the corner, leaning against the wall, looking illegally hot in a vintage white T-shirt and jeans that deserve an award for their services to worin—at the adoring girl standing next to him

My heart sinks Huh me

I thought he didn’t have a girlfriend!

I may have stayed away from Blake these past two years in Europe, but it’s been iossip column favorite And what I didn’t pick up by osossip about in our weekly Skype dates Tegan Callahan: my best friend

And Blake’s younger sister

See, there’s a reason I’ve never made aour friendship—and the only real family I’ve ever had

I’ve known Blake since I was fourteen He’s only four years older than ly teen Not to mention the whole “best friend’s brother” part of the equation I don’t knohat Tegan would do if she ever found out about s, I just know the risk has kept me silent all these years The one ti how I feel about hiain until I was grown up

Until he could see me as a woman, and not just a little kid

So, I tried to azine in Paris and did everything I could to transform myself into a sophisticated, sexy Zoey Barnes Not just for Blake, but for myself too I needed to outrun the past and put a irl I used to be, the one as bullied mercilessly in school, and who never had a real boyfriend in her life

I studied lamorous co-workers like a hawk I learned how to flirt, how to bring life to ant even in jeans and a plain T-shirt I went on dates with sexy Frenchmen, and traveled alone for the first tirown up as I’ll ever be, dressed up inred lipstick, and my hair carefully styled in tousled waves

But I guess nothing’s changed after all, because even after all that, I’ly at hiirl

The girl says so her eyelashes at hihtly in irls here tonight He’s hot, charoes five irlfriend

I’m too late I missed my chance

But just as I’o slink away and drown my sorrows in that tray of eclairs I saw by the kitchen, Blake gets a call on his cellphone He says so into the hallway to answer the call

All is not lost!

I follow hi, so I hang back, watching as he lets himself out onto the deck that stretches across the back of the house I feel kind of like a stalker, peering through theas he paces, talking, but I need the tiht I don’t want any interruptions when I finally see hiain

Because tonight, everything is on the line

I’ a n A hint that rown up, Blake could possibly feel the saood

I just hope I’ain

Finally, Blake hangs up his call He leans out against the railings, looking out over the bay Here’s my chance

I take a deep breath, slide the doors open, and step out onto the deck