Chapter 1
AMELIA
"I don't date kids, princess."
That was the day my heart cracked open for the first time...and it hasn't stopped breaking since.
Sebastian Kade.
My neighbor.
My brother's best friend.
My first love.
And the bane of my existence.
"Amelia!" Lila's voice pierced through the fog of my blanket cocoon. "Baby, I will drag you out of your bed if I have to! We are going to this house party, so get your cute butt moving."
I groaned and shoved my face deeper into the pillow, as if that could drown her out. The truth? I didn't want to go anywhere. Not to a party, not even out of this room. If the earth could open and swallow me whole, I'd happily vanish into the abyss.
"Lila, do I have to?" I called weakly. When she appeared in the doorway, arms crossed and eyebrow raised, I deployed my most pitiful weapon…wide eyes and a pout. "Come on. We could stay here. Just us, a couple bottles of wine, and a full season of Friends. Doesn't that sound like the perfect Friday night?"
She leaned against the doorframe, unimpressed. "Nope. You've been doing the hermit thing for too long. It's been five years, Amelia. Five. Years. You need to stop letting a certain someone dictate how much fun you get to have." She rolled her eyes. "He's probably out there right now, without a thought in the world, and you're here hiding under blankets."
"Don't." I pointed at her. "Don't even say his name."
"I don't need to," she shot back, smirking. "We both know who. And honestly? You can't keep hibernating every time he shows up with a new girl. You're gorgeous, you're smart, you've got an amazing body…if I were a guy, I'd be falling at your feet."
"Yeah, right." I snorted. "If you were a guy, you'd still annoy the hell out of me. I'd pass."
She laughed, flicking her hair dramatically. "Rude. Now get up. We've got three hours to get ready and I am not letting you back out of this."
I sighed in defeat, throwing my blanket off. "Fine. But next weekend, we're staying in."
"You wish," she called, disappearing back into the bathroom.
The house was packed when we arrived, the music pulsing through the walls like it had a life of its own. The air reeked of cheap beer, sweat, and cigarettes. I immediately regretted coming.
"How are you holding up?" Lila yelled over the bass.
"I'm fine," I lied. "Let's get something to drink."
We pushed our way to the kitchen, where counters were buried under bottles and red plastic cups. Lila started mingling instantly, her social butterfly mode fully activated. I stayed close, nursing my drink, pretending to be engaged but mostly observing.
"Didn't think I'd see you here."
I turned and found Dave…one of my classmates from the business class…smiling at me.
"Yeah, me neither," I admitted with a small smile. "But you know… roommate pressure." I tilted my head toward Lila, who was already giggling with a group of strangers.
Dave chuckled. "Makes sense. Do you maybe want to go somewhere quieter? I can barely hear myself think in here."
"Please," I said, grateful for the excuse. "My ears are about to bleed."
We grabbed fresh drinks and slipped upstairs to a balcony overlooking the pool. The chaos below was muted here, just splashing water, laughter, and the occasional shriek from someone jumping in.
"So," Dave said, leaning against the railing, "how are you liking Wellington Academy so far? Everything Daniel told you or …?"
"You know my brother ?" I asked, surprised.
"Yeah, Daniel and I are in the same music program. The one with the gala next month."
I laughed softly. "Of course. Music and business, right? That's an odd combo."
"Well, odd seems to work for me." He smiled, and for the first time in a long while, I felt myself relax. He was nice…polite, easy to talk to, and actually listening instead of waiting for his turn to speak.
It was… refreshing.
Until someone screamed my name.
"Amelia! Get your best friend before she kills someone!"
I froze, spinning toward the voice. Sila, from my English class…was waving frantically.
My stomach dropped. "What?"
Dave's eyes widened.
I hurried downstairs, shoving through the crowd. And then I saw it.
Lila, drunk and furious, was being physically restrained by none other than Daniel. And standing a few feet away, smirking, infuriating, devastating…was Sebastian.
Of course.
Why the hell was he here? This wasn't his circle.
I rushed to Lila, cupping her face. "Whoa, hey. How much did you drink? I left you for…" I checked my watch and cursed. "Two hours?!"
She grinned drunkenly, leaning close. "I shouted at him for breaking your heart."
My blood ran cold. "Oh my God."
"Amelia, what are you doing here?" Daniel demanded, still holding Lila back.
"Duh, I was invited," I snapped. "What are you doing here? Don't you have rehearsals for the next two weeks?"
He sighed. "I needed a break. But seriously, Amelia, what the hell are you doing here alone? I thought I taught you better. And she doesn't count." He nodded at Lila.
Before I could answer, a warm hand landed on my shoulder. Dave.
"Oh, I'm here with her," he said confidently.
Daniel's eyes darkened instantly, flicking to Dave's hand on me. "Go home, Amelia. You hate these things anyway. And Dave? Hands off."
"Daniel!" I hissed, embarrassed. But he ignored me.
Dave gave him a polite smile and didn't move.
That's when a stronger hand smacked his away.
My breath hitched.
Sebastian.
"Yeah," he said, his voice low, rough, sending a shiver down my spine. "Hands off."
I froze. I couldn't look at him…because if I did, if I really looked at him, I'd crumble.
"I'm leaving," I muttered, grabbing Lila's arm.
"I'll call you an Uber," Daniel called after me.
But then Sebastian's voice cut through the noise like a blade. "I'll take them. It's not safe."
"Thanks, man," Daniel said easily.
And just like that, I found myself following Sebastian out of the house, my chest tight, my pulse out of control.
The drive was silent. Lila was passed out in the backseat, and the air between Sebastian and me was thick enough to choke on. When we reached the dorm, I struggled to get Lila out of the car, but Sebastian sighed and lifted her effortlessly, carrying her like she weighed nothing.
He laid her down gently, then lingered. I tucked her in, assuming he'd leave. But when I stepped into the kitchen, he was there…leaning against the counter, drinking water straight from the fridge like he owned the place.
I swallowed hard. "Sorry about Lila. She's not usually like this. She was drunk and-..."
His voice cut me off, low and dangerous. "What's with you and Dave?"
I blinked. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me." His eyes locked on mine, unreadable.
My throat tightened. "He's just a classmate. We were talking. That's all."
Sebastian's jaw flexed. He set his glass down with a soft clink that sounded more like a warning than anything else.
"Good," he said, stepping past me toward the door. His shoulder brushed mine, sending a jolt through me. He paused just long enough for his words to hit.
"Keep it that way."
And then he was gone.
Leaving me frozen in place, heart racing, trying to figure out what the hell just happened.