Prologue
ATLAS
The last light entering Kither Springs turned green just as my car pulled up to it. I took it as a sign that I’d made the right choice.
In fact, the entire drive here from Christmas Falls had been smooth sailing. Every red light I passed magically turned green right as I drove up to it, and without coming across any traffic, I was going to reach my destination a lot sooner than expected. I’d get there in an hour instead of having to stay the night at a hotel, then finishing the travel in the morning as I’d originally planned.
The universe was definitely giving me a sign. It was telling me I was meant to be in Kither Springs. That I was supposed to be with Garrett.
It would be a lie to say I didn’t have any concerns about the move. Even if I was moving from one small town to another, this would be my first timeliving anywhere but Christmas Falls and away from my aunt Polly, and the fact that I was moving here for my boyfriend, well, some might say it was foolish.
But seeing how things had worked out a little too well calmed my nerves just in time to see the sign welcoming me to Kither Springs town limits. This was meant to be. It didn’t matter that Garrett and I had only been dating for less than a year. Time was inconsequential when hearts were connected, and I was now more than certain that coming here was meant to be.
The lady on my phone’s GPS directed me to turn onto a smaller street that led to what I assumed was Kither Springs’ downtown area. It was a lot smaller than what I was used to back in Christmas Falls, with only a row of stores on one side of the street.
On the other side of the street was a scatter of buildings that were past their glory days. The building in the middle had a giant faded red sign that read “The Diner.” It was direct, to the point, and took the guess out of what the establishment was.
I’d heard about the place from Garrett, though he’d claimed he wouldn’t be caught dead inside such a “dingy” place. I glanced through the large windows to see faded red-and-white striped wallpaper and red booths that looked like they’d seen better days.
The interior was a little worn out and outdated, but I wouldn’t call the place dingy. It was charming in its own way, and it was clear the owner took care of it.
In that way, The Diner had a lot of similarities withThe Snowflake Shack in my hometown. That place had history, much like the diner in front of me. It was a place for gathering, and that was the reason I’d been drawn to working there in the first place.
A tinge of homesickness washed over me. It hadn’t even been a full day since I’d left home, and I was already missing Christmas Falls. I shook off the feeling and focused on the slice of familiarity here in my new home.
My nerves were getting to me, that was all. But if I were going to let my worries stop me, I wouldn’t have moved here in the first place.
I was determined to make this work and start a new life here with my boyfriend.
Smiling, I gave The Diner one last glance before turning down the alley that led to the address my boyfriend gave me. My destination wasn’t too far away.
I didn’t text him that I’d arrived so I could surprise him. I could just imagine his face when he opened the door to find that I was here a day earlier than expected.
I was excited to finally see him in person instead of through the screen and excited to start our lives together instead of having to settle for short visits that ended too soon.
We didn’t have to say goodbye anymore. As soon as the door that separated us opened, we could be together every day.
Bubbling with excitement, I knocked. I didn’t have to wait long before I heard my boyfriend’s muffledvoice. He laughed as he said something. There were other voices too, telling me he wasn’t alone.
I would have preferred our reunion to be private, but it didn’t really matter as long as we got to be together.
The door opened a crack, and I lifted my arms, getting ready to yell “surprise!” My cheeks hurt from how wide my lips were stretched, but that smile quickly fell when my boyfriend came into view…with a stranger clinging to him.
“Atlas? Weren’t you supposed to arrive tomorrow?”
Garrettcouldn’t hide the shock on his face when he saw me. The arm he had wrapped around the unknown man’s waist quickly dropped as he tried to untangle himself, but the man didn’t letGarrettgo.
“Who’s this, babe?” the man asked, still clinging on tightly to the man I’d been dating for the last year.
My heart dropped as heat flooded my face. I’d heard stories of people who found partners in other places while they already had someone back at home. I thought they were tales told for amusement, but I never imagined I’d be put in that exact situation. I never thought I’d be a mistress.
Or whatever the hell the male equivalent was.
Manstress?
“Is that your pretty plaything, Garrett? He’s cute,” a male voice called from inside. My face flamed even more. I was just barely accepting the fact that I was unknowingly an affair partner, and now Iwas being called a plaything? I could only handle so much shock at once.
I caught a glimpse ofGarrett’s living room, filled with people in various states of undress. The man who’d spoken sat on the large couch that directly faced the door, but I only caught a peek of his smirk before I turned away and sprinted the hell out of there.
