For once, and only because it was the first day, I had let my brother take me to university. 

“Did you have to park so far away?”

Ezra didn’t reply, so shaking my head, I slammed the car door and checked to make sure I had everything with me. 

As I was about to turn around, Ezra called out to me. “Hey...”

I looked at him, his gaze filled with concern, and he could barely hold it.

“Have a great first day.”

I forced myself to smile. Because even though we hadn’t been on the same page since the accident, he was still my brother.

“Thanks.”

I turned without looking back again and made my way across the parking lot.

I almost tripped over a raven, happily hopping around in a water-filled puddle, splashing its wings.

It made me smile.

Ravens were cute animals, and whenever I saw any on the streets of Blairville, they made me grin. 

At least they felt comfortable in the city.

I kept walking past heavily packed newcomers... And then I understood why Ezra had parked so far away: In front of me was Nash’s car. A dark blue jeep.

Why did I associate so many painful memories with a damn car?

I swallowed, trying not to let the tears out. There was only one place I was allowed to cry, and it definitely wasn’t here.

“Are you okay?”

I whirled around.

A girl with long light brown almost blonde hair, a black leather jacket and a stunning figure swung off a motorcycle and took off her helmet.

“Yeah...” Shaking my head, I turned away from the Jeep and looked at the loaded motorcycle. “Did you bring all your stuff here on that motorcycle?”

A sly grin traveled across the girl’s lips, and she began unbuckling the suitcase.

“Don’t ask me how I did it,” she laughed, “Especially this far.” 

She eyed her luggage before loosening it further.

“Are you from town?” I asked curiously because I had never seen her in high school. Someone like her would have just caught my eye instantly.

Again, she laughed and raised her hands defensively. “No, for God’s sake.” Then she managed to untie the suitcase and looked back at me. “You?”

“I grew up here.” 

It sounded prouder than I was on it, and even the smile felt, after all, indescribably fake.

“My condolences.”

Dumbfounded, I looked at the girl.

Where was she from?

“Blairville can be really nice,” I said instead of asking rude questions. “With the right people in the right places,” I added quickly.

She looked up at me and I was beginning to think she was going to laugh at me, but she just smiled and put on her black leather backpack.

“That’s a good attitude.” 

I returned the smile, and immediately a thought came to me. What if, after all these years, I could still manage to find people and start over?

“Are you starting your studies here?”

I looked at her in surprise. “Yes, why?” 

“Perfect. I’m new here, too. And my sense of direction really sucks,” she sighed, and we walked across the crowded parking lot toward the campus lawn.

“I know my way around Blairville, but at Vanderwood...” I hesitated thoughtfully. “Are you looking for anything in particular?”

The girl smiled. “You could say that.”

I was about to ask further when something hard hit me painfully on the arm, and I slammed into the girl next to me. But she caught me without a second thought and looked at me with concern.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah...”

She looked around, her gaze fixed on something, and then she yelled. “Watch it, you asshole!”

I scrambled to my feet, startled, and looked at the football on the ground. 

Was it somehow fate that everything that had to do with him seemed to haunt me for the rest of my life?

“Wow, I’m incredibly sorry.”

My head traveled up to the tall, dark-skinned young man in the dark pine green Vanderwood T-shirt, which was cut off at the sleeves, showcasing his massive shoulders. 

“You should be,” the girl next to me nagged back.

And then he recognized me. “Mady?”

“You know each other?” The girl looked between us, confused.