PARTONE
PAST
PROLOGUE
LYLA
Sometimes wings are builtfrom despair. That was the thought at the forefront of my mind as I stared at my car, fighting the cold chill slithering down my spine. At first glance, it looked like a random act of vandalism, but I knew the truth. Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward, glass crunching under my shoes as I circled to the driver's side. I opened the door and used the t-shirt to wipe the driver's seat before sitting down. As soon as I shut the car door, the smell of cigarettes filled my nostrils, and I gagged. It was a visceral reaction. I tried to push through it by squeezing my eyes shut and tightening the grip on the duffel bag on my lap.
My breath caught when I turned to set my bag on the passenger seat and saw a piece of glass very deliberately placed on the left side. My hands shook as I switched on the engine. There was another cigarette bud on the dash. I left it there as I drove away, careful to show no reaction. I knew he was watching. I didn't know where he was, but I knew he was watching. He got off on shit like this, but he didn't deserve access to my emotions, and I wouldn't grant it. We both knew his message was clear.
I drove home feeling sick with anxiety, but otherwise, I was calm. As soon as I parked, I raced to my apartment, locking the door behind me. I dashed to my bedroom and did the same. With a heavy heart, I looked at the photos before me, my silent reminder of why I shouldn't have let my guard down. Marissa had laid out an outfit for me. I considered skipping the event. I should have, but I'd spent the last two years of college living like a hermit.
I was tired of it. I was tired ofhimwanting to destroy everything that brought me joy. I just wanted to go to a party like a regular college student and not worry about the consequences. There were strict rules for this particular party–a small and vetted list of guests, no phones, and no pictures. I knew I could go without worry. I knew he wouldn't come after me there. He couldn't. I wasn't sure it even mattered anymore. He already knew about us. In two days, we'd be out of here. Two days. I stood up and looked at the dress one more time. His message reminded me of what he could still do to me. He'd tried to cut my wings before. He probably thought he'd rip them up and burn them this time. I wouldn't let him. I got up and got ready for the party.
CHAPTER1
LACHLAN
We metunder a multitude of improbabilities. For starters, I almost didn’t go to the party that night. Earlier in the week, I’d been in a car accident. It was my brother’s fault. He’d veered off the road, trying to avoid hitting a deer. He was successful but killed two coyotes that were left wedged between the front bumper and an oak tree. Needless to say, Mr. PETA was a mess. He broke his left arm. I got a couple of stitches on my jaw. Our mother acted like the world was coming to an end. Local newspapers and magazines plastered my face across their front pages:Fairview Hockey Star in Car Accident.It was all very dramatic.
Two days later, I was back on the ice, scoring the goal that pushed us into the semifinals. Usually, it was something I would want to celebrate, but I was dealing with a killer headache and had to be up early to help my brother move his shit to his girlfriend’s place. Besides, I’d already done this celebration twice. This year would mark the third in a row if we could pull it off. I didn’t see why we wouldn’t, as long as I was starting. I wasn’t being cocky. The Fairview Hockey Team was trash before I decided to come here four years ago. Once I signed, I’d gotten a few other players to sign, and we dominated.
I’d been an underdog my whole life before I started playing hockey. I also had a chip on my shoulder the size of Alaska. These days, it was more like Georgia since I finally got my deserved recognition. I was revered as one of the best players in the country; I already had a lucrative contract presented to me by a professional team last year to prove it.
My friends thought I was crazy to pass it up. My advisor harped on it for months before he let it go. I had a plan. I’d finish my four years here, sign as a free agent with my dream team, and get even more money and opportunities. It wasn’t just the money for me, but it would help. I wouldn’t have to rely on my deadbeat father anymore. To be fair, my father wasn’t a deadbeat by anyone else’s standards. No, Henry Duke, heir to Duke Tech Enterprises — a now billion-dollar company that provided the government and elites with information and security — was a fucking golden boy. I’d received a full-ride on a hockey scholarship, but Liam would have relied on grants and loans had it not been for Henry Duke paying his tuition in full. As well as his company did, it was the least he could do. As far as I was concerned, the only thing Henry and I shared was blood and a last name — and the latter was only until I got around to changing mine. To me, Henry Duke might as well be a nobody. With as little as I saw of him, I was sure the feeling was mutual.
I let out a breath as I walked through the house. I’d gotten here thirty minutes ago and had yet to make it out back. Every time I turned, someone new wanted to speak to me. It was like this all the time. I’d always received this kind of attention and loved it for the most part. Lately, not as much, and definitely not tonight.
My plan for tonight was to stay home. Friday was my laundry and homework night unless we had a game. Everyone knew I wouldn't be at any party on Friday nights. I made an exception tonight since it was Aaron’s birthday, and his girlfriend was throwing him a party. I finished talking to the last person I would greet inside, grabbed a beer by the door, and headed outside. I said I’d be here. I didn’t say I’d mingle. I twisted the cap off and started drinking my beer as I reached Nash and Drew. They were helping some of the sorority girls doing keg stands; from the looks of it, their help would be rewarded.
“Are you here to help us out?” A blonde walked up to me, pushing her tits against my arm. I knew this one but couldn’t remember her name. I sucked with names. Faces I could remember. Names, not so much.
“Nah, it looks like Nash and Drew have it under control.” I lifted my beer and walked away.
Get to the wall. Get to the wall. Get to the wall. Even with the drunken crowd, I kept my eyes on my destination: the white wall I’d claimed as mine the first time I attended a party here. It was the closest thing to a sanctuary for me, away from the crowd — not so far that I couldn’t enjoy the party, not so close that they’d rope me into one of their games. I cringed at the reminder of the last time I’d participated in one. I was almost to the wall when I noticed a girl leaning against it. That wasn’t new. Sometimes, they waited for me there. It was like a contest to see who spoke to me first and who I took home at the end of the night. It wasn’t hyperbole. Fairview lived and breathed hockey and had been on a ten-year losing streak before I got here and turned it around. So, everyone wanted a piece of me, especially the women.
This one stood out from the others. She was dressed wrong for this party, with a baggy top that almost reached her knees and black Chucks. It was the look on her face that stood out, though— the clouded look in her eyes, void of emotion, as she watched everyone enjoy themselves. Could she be a new pledge? That was impossible since the semester was almost ending, but she had to be new. She had the kind of understated beauty that was unforgettable — caramel complexion, perfect features, and legs too sculpted for her not to have played a sport. Her dark brown hair hung down to her waist, and her lips were full and currently pursed, which was the only indication that she was paying attention to the partygoers. I hadn’t even realized I’d stopped in my tracks to stare until someone bumped into me and snapped me out of it.
“Oh shit. I’m so sorry.” Someone giggled and squeezed my arm, gasping when she saw who I was. “Oh. Maybe I’mnotso sorry.”
I didn’t even bother looking at her as I yanked my arm away. Even if I’d wanted to, my eyes wouldn’t wander away from baggy clothes girl. Why? I had no fucking idea. I closed the distance between this outsider and me. She didn’t acknowledge my arrival, but I knew she noticed my presence from the way she tensed. I took a step and blocked her view of the party. She finally looked up, and up, and up, until she reached my eyes, and all I could think washoly fuck. They were brown. I’d seen countless brown eyes in my life, but hers felt different in a way I couldn’t quite describe. They seemed to hold a vortex, a black hole that threatened to hook and drown you. Her snappy voice pulled me out of the momentary spell she’d cast on me.
“What are you doing?”
“You’re in my territory.”
“Your territory.” She frowned. “Are you pledging this sorority or something?”
She knew damn well it was an all-female sorority, and even though her response was funny, I wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of laughing. She continued to study me, her eyes wandering over each of my facial features. I wondered if she’d lie and say she didn’t know who I was. That was how some girls liked to play it, coy and shy and “Oh my God, no way you’re an athlete,” as if my body wasn’t a dead giveaway. I had to admit, from the way she looked at me, this one was either a great actress or genuinely didn’t know who I was.
“This wall is my territory,” I repeated.
“Youownthis wall?” Her lips moved like she was trying not to laugh. “Okay, John Smith.”
“Who the fuck is John Smith?”
“A terrible person, but I was referring to the Disney version. From Pocahontas.” She scrutinized me so intensely that I had to fight the urge to wipe my face just in case. “You know, the settler.”
