Prologue
September 2nd, 2018
Connery Mansion
A chilly breezetossed Lindsay Connery’s blonde hair into buoyant waves as she stepped out onto the roof. She let out a contented sigh and perched on her favorite old wooden loveseat. Then she looked upward, admiring the twinkling stars dotted between thick, dark clouds.
As a child, Lindsay had discovered that the west wing of her family’s grand limestone mansion had a large flat portion between two soaring spires which could be reached via a stone stairway on the third floor. At the time, she felt as if she’d discovered something ancient, like she was an archaeologist exploring a never-seen-before site, because the walls and roof edges were decorated with elaborate embellishments, carvings, and balustrades, just like a fairytale castle. It was all so new, so thrilling.
When her father returned from one of his frequent business trips, he explained that it was nothing—just part of the mansion design—but he saw how much his little girl loved going up there and watching the sky for meteors and UFOs. He hired a team to turn it into a rooftop garden with lush greenery and bursting blooms, and then he ordered some of the staff members to haul some old furniture out of storage so that she could have somewhere to sit.
Over the years, Lindsay changed her mind about what she wanted up there, and different pieces came and went. A decade later, there was a carved wooden loveseat, an antique table, and a large velveteen lounge in the middle of the garden. Fairy lights had been strung all around the outside, lending a warm yellow glow to the place.
Lindsay was sixteen now, but she still hung out in the garden all the time. She often shared the spot with her two brothers, and sometimes she even showed it to her friends and held little parties there.
Frowning, she tore her eyes away from the sky and pulled her cell phone out of her black coat pocket. She’d messaged a few people to see if they wanted to hang out tonight, but no one had replied yet. She’d even asked her friend Laney if she wanted to meet up, even though she lived quite far away, but she hadn’t responded for a while either. Everyone seemed to be ignoring her.
A rustling sound followed by footsteps made her turn her head to one side. “Oh, you’re finally here,” she said, shoulders relaxing as she spied the familiar face. She rose to her feet, lips twisting in a pout. “Where have you been? I messaged you a whole hour ago.”
The only response she received was three softly-spoken words. “Is it true?”
Lindsay’s nose wrinkled as she stepped over to the ornately-carved balustrade on the edge of the roof. “Is what true?” she asked, looking over her shoulder as she retrieved a pink vape pen from one of her pockets. As she waited for an answer, she inhaled deeply, sucking down cherry-flavored vapor before blowing it out in a series of rings.
The response came in a sharper tone this time. “You and Jason Breckenridge. Have you been hooking up with him?”
Lindsay rolled her eyes and let out another cherry-flavored puff. “Why do you care?”
“Are you kidding?” The other person folded their arms, eyes narrowing slightly. “You know he’s married to Samantha, right?”
“Duh, of course I do. How could I notknow?”
“It was a rhetorical question.” There was a short pause. “Does Kairo know about you and Jason?”
Lindsay shrugged. “No. We’re over anyway. I just broke up with him.”
“So you can screw your way around town without feeling guilty?”
Her brows furrowed. “Don’t be so judgmental! You don’t know what’s going on. It’s super-complicated.”
“Uh-huh. Sure.”
“How’d you find out about me and Jason, anyway?” Lindsay asked before drawing on the vape pen again.
“Someone told me.”
“Who?”
“I can’t say. I told them I wouldn’t tell.”
Lindsay rolled her eyes again. “Whatever. I think I have a pretty good idea of who it was, anyway. Big-mouthed bitch,” she muttered.
The other person stepped closer, eyes filled with concern now. “Look, Linz…. I actually came up here to tell you that I’m on your side, even with all the Jason stuff.”
“Doesn’t sound like it,” Lindsay replied with a derisive snort. “Sounds more like you came up here to lecture me.”
“I didn’t. I just wanted you to know that I see you, and I love it all. Even the bad parts.”
“Huh? You see me? What’s that supposed to mean?”