Prologue
AURELIA
January 11th, 1993
Iremembered how beautiful it was.
The wet road reflected the lights of passing cars. To the right, the stormy ocean threw waves against the rocks, and white foam broke through the deep blue water.
I leaned against the car door, rolling the window down just enough to see the moon. The sky was clear that night, and when I turned to my left, I met Daniel’s eyes.
He gently turned the dial on the radio, silencing“Tears in Heaven” by Eric Clapton. His hand moved to my thigh. I shiftedback, the fresh breeze raising goosebumps on my skin, and my hand reached for his.
“Your hand is so cold,” he said with a smile before returning his hand to the wheel.
I didn’t say anything. I bit my lower lip, my gaze drifting to the rearview mirror, where I saw my mom smiling at me. Her dream had come true. I was marrying Daniel Grant, the son of the richest family in San Francisco. Dad watched Daniel, clearly disapproving. In his eyes no one could ever be good enough for me, except, apparently, when money was involved.
“You, okay?” Daniel asked.
I nodded.
I was.Okay.At least I thought I was.
Who wouldn’t want to marry Daniel Grant? He was justperfect.
Then, in a blink, two lights appeared in the rearview mirror. A red cabriolet was speeding, trying to pass us.
“They’re in a hurry,” my dad smiled towards my mom.
“They’re not getting through. This isn’t a passing zone,” Daniel said, glancing back briefly.
Something inside me twisted. My heart beat faster than it had a second before, and I lost track of what was happening right in front of me. Another pair of headlights flashed, and everything blurred as both cars swerved and spun toward the cliffside.
The first impact against the rocks shattered the windows. Glass exploded around us, one shard slicing past my temple. Daniel’s lips moved, his eyes locked on mine, but I couldn’t hear what he was saying.
Mom and Dad braced against their seats, their heads jerking forward.
The second impact was harder, slamming against the edge of the cliff. The car landed on Daniel’s side. His eyes were closed, and no matter how hard I tried to grab his hand, everythinghappened too fast. I couldn’t even look toward Mom or Dad because we had already fallen into the ocean.
We were sinking. Water filled my mouth and nose.
I tried to unbuckle my seatbelt, but it wouldn’t release, my fingers just kept slipping. Water swallowed my sight, smearing everything into shadows, but before it did, I saw my father slamming his fists against the window. Daniel was already gone, his eyes closed, his body floating against the seatbelt.
Pressure built inside my head, behind my eyes. No matter how hard I tried to keep my eyes open, they burned until they forced themselves to shut down.
I tried again. The buckle didn’t move.
My body was giving up. No matter how hard I fought to free myself, the belt held me in place.
Until I couldn’t feel anything.
Only cold. Only darkness.
Somewhere through the numbness, I felt someone pulling me. My hands were heavy, and no matter how hard I fought against the water to open my eyes, I couldn’t. I had heard that when you are drowning, you open your mouth in a final attempt to breathe, and then your lungs fill with water. It can’t be painful because your brain has already begun to shut down.
I gave up.
I opened my mouth and felt the water rush in. This was supposed to be the end.
