inn'

lobby, my heart hammerin

rs slid open on three

as the man fro

ored wall of the lobby an

around my eyes, and my hair still reek

r was a wreck-pitiful,

, it was with a burning, total attention, as if I

amily's head gardener

yet he placed in the top one percent

t, and he w

k wrong on purpose, just so my mother would

fingers turn the pencil, listening to that low, steady

he way we looked at each

ned me, cold and clear, that a Baxter daughter c

poor boy false hope wou

y, Brantley and his father vanished

and the little brick house was emptie

ears, my father froze my trust fund an

ctly what they were worth to people like us; the mom

o poison in my veins, gnawing at my he

I ran into Chaim Barrett at an am

exact same deep brown eyes-and hanging on hi

ered at my floral dress and said that prep

every dress I owned and armored mys

ards, and double-black-diamond ski runs, enduring crash after

he stands, retching with fear while

of water after every qualifier, I l

in my clutch, dragging me

Chaim c

e I could speak, Felicity's g

let zone," Felicity slurred, tipsy. "He doesn't want

cted voice came clo

linn," Chaim ordered. "Felicity wants an

thout waiting

revolving doors int

at my legs, his eyes

," the valet said, poi

wn my leg, staining the

in had numbed me so completely

a new message in

lights, Chaim's arm was looped around her wais

"For my real adr

s did-snap a photo of my bloodied shin and send it ba

creen dark and

ed the key and pushed open

the living room, holdin

s, she set down the cup and fetched

ssed antiseptic wipes gently against my

ople who don't care about you

ainst the sofa and stare

ters anymore, M

aused mid-wrap, and

is afternoon," she said quiet

d down

ho

ork. He built a multibillion-dollar venture capital firm, and yesterday mo

. The boy I had waited eight

n pocket and drew out a heavy blac

g faintly. "Aislinn, there are things about what hap

e card with s

r was printed a

y messaging app, and had

t reall

a message appea

of your street, Ais