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Prologue

Lexi

There’s an albatross and a butterfly sitting on a tree branch And they’re whispering, laughing, and chatting voraciously I’ to be a part of the conversation But they can’t see me They can’t see me because I’m hidden in a hole in the wall And there’s a wide expanse of ocean between us I feel afraid because I can see that the branch is about to crack But the albatross and the butterfly are having such a good tio back to the tree, get off of the branch” But no words are co inAnd all I can think about is the branch cracking And I’ to scream to warn the And then I hear the crack and I close my eyes This is it, I think This is it

But suddenly I feel er in the dream I didn’t die It wasn’t me who died

Chapter 1

Lexi

10 seconds That’s how long it took forseconds Soe in a moment It can be faster than a blink of the eye One second, everything is fine—you’re going along your merry way, satisfied in the minutiae of your life; even if you’re not exactly pumped or overwhelmed, you still exist Your heart still pu and you just continue as you are

That state ofBecause that is what it is for ives us peace of mind Well, that peace of mind can disappear in a second Or 10 seconds I know that now Soht was important can disappear in a moment And then your very existence is called into question

“Lexi, Lexi, are you okay?” I openedover edly handsohtly anxious look on his; it was the first ti Maybe he orried that if I died in his house, he’d have to facethat he would want My mom had not taken it hen he had ended their relationship

“Who died?” I whispered urgently, staring at his dad

“I don’t know exactly” He frowned “I’o down to the hospital to find out”

“Dad!” Bryce barked at his father “How irresponsible of you You made Lexi think her mom had died You should know better”

Mayor Evans looked at Bryce with a ht hi “The police called me and told me there was a bad accident in town and that there had been a fatality I don’t knoho got hurt We o to the hospital”

“Why do we need to go? You’re the mayor, this is your business” Bryce frowned “We have plans”

“We should go, Bryce” My voice was slightly louder “We should go and make sure it is no one we know” I felt my body tremble as I spoke, but I didn’t correct his incorrect assuuilty, but she hadn’t even crossed mind Luke was all I could think about I didn’t knohat I would do if Luke was hurt I pictured Luke’s—always friendly and happy to see low of life in theain

My breath caught and I pinchedabout the worst-case scenario I needed to distractbeen a good friend to Luke

“Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket,” I started singing as I started to get up and I witnessed Bryce and his dad exchange a worried look and then look at me in concern

“Are you okay, Lexi?” Bryce frowned “Everything’s going to be ok”

“Do you see what I see?” I sang, trying to blank his words fro to be okay? Nothing in my life ever seemed to be okay

“What do you see?” Mayor Evans looked around the roohed, nearly hysterically

“It’s a song”

“What’s a song?”

“Do you see what I see?” I sang again

“I don’t knohat you are seeing,” the Mayor answered, irritably “Let’s get going”

“Well et a clue, you adulterer” Oops, I had hed at the look on his face

“Excuse me What did you just say to me?” The Mayor advanced towards me and Bryce stepped in between us

“Dad, this is not the tirabbed s when she feels stressed” He sly “It’s the way she copes and it’s so I love about her”

My breath caught as he admitted his love forout of this relationship noas partially thrilled and partially scared, but the gnawing in s

“Co in the car”

“Thanks” I sratefully and studied his worried face It seemed to ht to uy like Bryce Evans would have anything to frown about? Certainly not ht he had the perfect life Until Eddie killed himself I had felt sorry for him in a weird way I hated Eddie, well, soh I knew he had to be hurting and that hy I had started sending the letters

But that was before I knew the whole story I hadn’t blauess I still didn’t, even after I knehat had gone down At least I didn’t think I did Everything was just too overwhelht now

The Mayor’s cellphone rang again and he whispered into the phone “Okay I’irl with me I’ll be there soon”

I saw Bryce’s ferocious expression before his dad’s words hitcalled a local girl, like we lived in soe

“I asked about your friends fro for one of theistry A Luke Bryan is at the hospital…” The ain