Prologue
3 years before the quakes…
The first time they meet.
I tightenedmy grip on the books I juggled in my arms and tried not to drop my fresh latte as I power-walked toward Building C’s main door. Other students crossed the commons in their rush to get to their next classes. Or maybe, if they were anything like my roommates, they were escaping campus for a nap.
“Hey, June!” a girl shouted with a wave. “Great party last night.”
I smiled in acknowledgement and caught the door with my foot as someone left the building. My latte jostled.
“Here, let me get that for you.”
A hand reached around me and grabbed the door. I looked up into the bluest pair of eyes I’d ever seen. He was tall and broad-shouldered with short, sandy-blonde hair and an amazing smile.
“Thanks,” I said after a stunned moment of silence on my part.
His gaze swept over my face, and I knew what he was seeing—facial features passed down to me from my Taiwanese grandmother, a heart-shaped face with dark eyes highlighted by darker lashes, smooth skin, and long black hair.
“Wow. You’re so pretty.”
His immediate blush stopped me from walking away because it showed his sincerity.
“That’s nice of you to say so. I’m smart, too.”
A devastating grin lit his face.
“Is there any chance you’d want to grab a coffee sometime?”
“Maybe. Write your number down for me.”
He hurriedly dug in his backpack for a paper and pen. I walked away with a note that had his number and his name. Adam.
My pulse skipped at the thought of calling him. I probably wouldn’t. I had a plan, a career to chase, a future laid out before me that didn’t involve a relationship just yet. But I could dream.