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Prologue

Tate

Four Years Ago

“Jared Trent,” I scolded, “if I get into trouble for the first tih school, I’ my father it was your fault”

I nearly jogged behind hi down the darkened school corridor, the music from the dance like a subterranean hum around us

“Your father believes in taking personal responsibility, Tate,” he pointed out, and I could hear the humor in his tone “Come on” He squeezed my hand “Pick up the pace”

I stumbled as he led me faster up the steps onto the second floor, th of ht, and our senior pro ht it would

Soined he si to do to me ere finally alone Jared Trent had a few favorite people in the world, and if you weren’t in that group, then you received a modicum of his attention If he couldn’t be witharound were his brother, Jax, and our best friend, Madoc Caruthers

He hated dances, he hated dancing, and he loathed monotonous chatter But while his demeanor was meant to push people away, it only enticed theht, of course

But he put up with it All forme happy

I jogged to keep pace and held his ar open a classroo forwhat he was up to, but I hurried into the roo the school, after all

Once inside the deserted room, I twisted around as he followed me inside and closed the door

“Penley’s classroom?” I prompted We hadn’t stepped foot in this room since last semester

His mischievous chocolate brown eyes flashed to me before he answered “Yeah”

I wandered down the aisle between ts of e me

“Where we hated each other,” I re voice

“Yeah”

I let raze a wooden desktop “Where we started to love each other,” I kept playing with him

“Yeah” His soft whisper felt like a warm blanket on my skin

I grinned to“Where I was your north”

Elizabeth Penley was our literature teacher We’d both had her for several classes but only for one class together Themes in Film and Literature last fall