Page 1

PROLOGUE
STELLA
The hot chocolatein my hands was some of the best I’d ever had.
If I could have somehow captured the taste of this perfect mix of cocoa and sugar with a hint of peppermint in a photo, I would. I didn’t know whose recipe this was, but it was made from scratch and possibly with nectar from the gods.
Unfortunately for me, all I could do was snap a picture of the cup in my hand. I would have to remember everything else myself.
I’d had bad hot chocolate from many places. Whether it was premade powdered mix or made only with water and cocoa powder, the disappointment of a bad drink carried over into whatever would happen next. This incredible one was hopefully the first of many things going my way.
I was already in a good mood when one of my oldhigh school friends invited me to this party. The Christmas season always added some pep to my step, but this year had been especially good.
Not only had my first semester of college ended with me getting As and Bs in all my classes, but I’d also changed roommates from the horrible school-assigned one to my best friend, Winnie. Everything was in order and I only had one goal for this party.
Tonight, I would lose my virginity. Winnie was also attempting the same thing, but she had a higher chance considering she was a total knockout with her light brown skin and long braids. While she hadn’t dated once in high school, she had plenty of opportunities in places that I didn’t.
We could have done it while on campus, but both of us had been far too busy trying to stay afloat with our workloads. But we could have the last week of school if we wanted to.
But I had my sights set on someonenotat college.
And he was my brother’s best friend.
My eye had been on Alden Canes ever since I discovered that the opposite sex was attractive, but he always kept me at a frustrating arm’s-length distance. For a while, I got it. I was the annoying little sister of his best friend and he was four years older.
But now, I was an adult, and my plan was in motion.
I’d seen him looking at me when he thought I wouldn’t notice, especially as I’d continued to growcurves over the years. Some would say I was overweight, but I worked hard to love my body.
And when I wore low-cut shirts, IswearI had caught Alden looking twice and then averting his eyes. I could never ask him about it because he wasalwayswith my older brother, Nick.
But tonight, Nick was in the middle of a shift at his cashier job. Alden, on the other hand, was free and had been invited to the party by the host, who Alden knew through their older brother. All manner of students from freshmen year to senior were present, which meant Alden wasn’t singled out as the oldest one.
And when he arrived, I’d find him.
I was mingling by the Christmas tree, admiring the house the party was in. It was tastefully decorated, save for the makeshift beer pong table and Walmart snacks thrown on every surface. To add to my memories of this potentially perfect night, I took a few photos of the gorgeous tree beside me.
I was always taking pictures like this. One day I might be able to make it my full-time job, even though the degree I was currently working toward was in a different field.
There was no telling where I would end up, but there was one thing I was willing to guarantee.
My crush on Alden was never going to change.
I could feel it the second he walked in at eight on the dot. I abandoned my photos to watch him. His eyesperused the crowd and he waved at some of the people he knew.
My brother’s best friend had one of those faces you couldn’t help but stare at. His angular jaw and teakwood eyes were what pulled most people in. Sometimes it was the way his raven-colored hair was always styled back on his head. But for me, it was the way he smiled.
It was a rare concept these days. Alden didn’t have a great homelife, especially after his mom died a decade ago. It got worse recently when his father stopped talking to him after marrying an eighteen-year-old girl.
Alden told his father it was wrong, and his father replied that he was going to do what he wanted and to stay away from him if he was going to criticize. They’d never had a great relationship, but this was the final nail in the coffin.
He’d always spent time with us as a kid, but after, he became a real part of the family—a staple at every event.
I was sure Nick wanted me to see him in a brotherly way, but my crush only grew. Especially once he started smiling again.
It took about six months to crack his sad exterior, but he finally let loose when Nick and I were screaming at each other over Mario Kart. We’d traded increasingly petty insults until Alden was laughing. When we saw that, all of the fight left us, and we celebrated him coming back out of his shell.
I was awarded one of these rare smiles when Alden’seyes locked with mine, and my heart skipped a beat as he approached me.