PROLOGUE
Luna
Time is an audaciousthief.It is never timid or gentle with its power.It can be your friend when you want time to pass; wishing for the painful or embarrassing moments to be brief.Or it can be your enemy and speed up when you most want it to stretch; pulling the rug from under your feet.But on this day, I wish for the impossible – for it to be my frenemy.
A soft yet prominent voice calling my name pulls me away from the conversation I was having in the midst of the loud pub.The voice pierces through the chattering of the crowd beside me.My brain is playing tricks on me – being tipsy from a few drinks and not yet used to the change in the weather – because there isn’t a chance that I just heard this voice.Of course, I know whose voice it is; it is the sound that made up my most cherished and painful memories from my twenties.The voice that, from the first time I heard it, stayed with me.Even after I never heard it again from proximity, even when I was miles apart, years apart from the origin of the voice.I go back to the sentence that I had drifted away from.
A few minutes go by and a hand falls on my shoulder, the same voice calling my name again.This time, my body turns out of its volition.His touch is seared onto my skin; the memories rush back in full force.My eyes meet his and roam across his face, landing on his birthmarks and the crescent smile lines, to confirm that it’s him.Everyone else is muted and blurry and only he is in focus.My body is shivering; my heartbeat racing and my palms are covered in a layer of sweat.My legs weaken beneath me, and my entire vision is blurring rapidly – I am going to faint.
I let my body take me with it, and I fall to the ground.My eyes close automatically, but right before I hit the ground with a thud his arms wrap around my waist and soften my fall.‘Luna, please wake up.’Are the last words I hear before my consciousness slips and my thoughts travel back to seven years ago.
PART ONE
7 years ago
1
Luna
The cold steel of theflat door handle meets my palm as I push through the doors of the library room, quietly tucked away on the second floor of the university building.It is one of the best-kept secrets of mine.The room is rarely frequented by other students, which makes it my current favourite spot.It’s 9 PM on a Thursday, and I usually frequent the library at this time.The sparse footfall of students and the fact that I don’t have to make small talk with people work in my favour.I have been coming to the library even at night, to tackle the massive final year project that looms over my head.
The tower of books I am holding threatens to topple as I try to flip on the light switch with my pinkie finger.As soon as I flip the switch, the room illuminates with a fluorescent glow of the overhead light and brings to my attention the person standing near the window with their back turned towards me.My heart starts racing immediately as I let out a yell and drop the books that I am holding.This alerts the person who now turns towards me – a blonde curl in the front of his forehead swinging like a pendulum, his deep blue eyes widening against his ivory skin – and walks to where my books are now splayed on the floor in different directions.
We both quickly squat to pick up the books; his eyes roam over the titles, and he tilts his head ever so slightly.We both manage to get all the books off the ground, and he hands the rest to me.‘I’m sorry.I didn’t mean to scare you,’ he says hesitantly.
‘It’s okay.I didn’t expect anyone to be here, especially with the lights turned off,’ I respond as I place the pile of books on the table.
‘I was trying to see the meteor shower happening today.I hoped that with the lights turned off-’
‘May 5th.It is the peak of the Eta Aquariids.’I think out loud as it dawns on me that I haven’t thought about meteor showers for the past year, a tradition that has been part of my life since I was seven years old.
A smile paints his lips.‘Yeah ...exactly.’His eyebrows are slightly creased as if he is decoding something from my sentence.
My brain whirs off to its own train of thought.I have been actively avoiding thinking about meteor showers or stargazing until this moment.I can’t believe life is different now.Idon’twant to believe it.I quickly push down the feelings that almost spill out of me.I glance back at the boy and he looks like he is expecting an answer from me.‘Sorry, what did you say?’
‘I asked if you were an avid stargazer.’He repeats the question.
