Chapter One
MADELINE
Iadore my sister. She is all the family I have left. Not that we ever had a big family. It’s been only us and our father for years. I don’t remember our mother. I’m uncertain if that’s a good or bad thing. With how my father was, it made me think it was for the better.
My father had two modes: working or drinking. It was always those two. It was why I enjoyed hanging out with him in his mechanic shop. He was levelheaded when he was there and had a hard rule about not drinking on the job. Ultimately, he broke that rule, and it took his life.
The man had been right: Drinking in the shop leads to injuries. Did he manifest his own death in the end? I’d even pondered if it was truly an accident. I mean, a car falling on you is a hell of a messed-up way to go, but it appeared to have been an accident. If my father wanted to kill himself, that’s how he’d make it appear. We’ll never know.
Not sure why he couldn’t wait one more year, but maybe the pain was too unbearable anymore. I’m not mad at him. What good would that do?
“I’m glad you’re smiling, but you’re going to hurt my feelings,” my sister Paislee teases.
“I shouldn’t be smiling.” I try to school my features, but the last month has been filled with sadness. The smiles aren’t coming like they used to.
“He would want you to be happy.”
I nod, believing her. I know my father loved me. It was just hard for him to stare at the girl who was turning into a woman that could be his wife’s twin. In the end, he loved my mother more than anyone else. Again, not mad about it. If anything, I feel sadness for him, but it does make me question the idea of falling in love. Why would anyone? Shit sounds brutal, and life is already that way enough on its own. It doesn’t need extra help.
“Excited to see Georgia.” I saw her a few weeks ago. Her parents were nice enough to send a car out to her so she could come to the city for my father’s funeral. Normally, I spend the whole summer in Charming with my sister. I have for the last couple of years. She lives and works here. That’s when I met Georgia.
We come from two very different worlds, but we simply clicked that first day we met. Now we don’t go a day without texting each other. Sometimes I slip a phone call in there too. She teases me about it, but I know she enjoys our conversations.
“She’s excited to see you too.” Paislee glances over, giving me a warm smile.
We’ve got a handful of years between us. We never went through that whole sibling rivalry battle other siblings talk about. It could be because we’re good together or my sister chooses not to argue with me. I’d guess it’s a bit of both. She is always about making everyone happy. Too much, in my opinion, but that’s her way.
That was part of why I pushed her to take this teaching position at Kingmakers Prep. My sister needed to get away from both my father and me, or she’d spend her life parenting whenshe should be living. It took me a while to convince her, but finally I got her to agree.
“I still can’t believe you pulled this all off.” My sister was going to put in her resignation at Kingmakers Prep until the dean made her an offer she couldn’t refuse when he showed up at my father’s small funeral.
Dean Locke said I was welcome to attend my senior year at Kingmakers Prep if my sister agreed to stay on. I was floored by the offer. It’s one of the best schools in the world. It’s a boarding school. Ninety percent of the students live on campus. Yes, campus, because the grounds are vast and there are multiple buildings. The place runs almost like a college. Hell, if you graduate from Kingmakers Prep, you can go to any college you want. It opens you up to so many opportunities that can be life-changing.
I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep up. I might not be stupid, but I’m not a protégé, which is what a lot of the people that go to this school are. They are either wicked smart, good at hockey, or come from a family whose name holds weight. I am none of those things.
“Dean Locke is”—she pauses—“nice.”
I snort a small laugh. “Are you sure about that?” She did not sound confident in her own opinion of him.
“He is,” Paislee insists. “I mean, he can be hard.”
“Hard, you say?” I wiggle my brows.
“Maddie.” She rolls her eyes at me, but her cheeks turn pink. Well, shit. Is she into him? He does have striking green eyes, but that’s about all I can recall of him. “He would not do that with an employee. As I was saying, he can be a hard man, but he’s fair.”
“Like cold?”
“No, I’d say he’s more stoic. He lost both his parents years ago.”
Ah, that might be why he offered for me to come here. He felt guilty and understood. Also, because my sister is kickass at her job, and the school obviously couldn’t afford to lose her.
Whatever the reason, though, I’m thankful. I didn’t want my sister’s whole world to be flipped on its head, and honestly, I’d wanted to get away. This could be a new start for me too.
“Well, him doing this was really kind.”
Not only did he say I could enroll in the prep school, but I was also given room and board. My sister has a small townhome on campus. It’s for staff that stays on-site.
The only drawback is the possibility of emergency calls and the rotation of night checks. Paislee’s place is small but rent-free. I was told I could stay with her if I wanted, but when I found out I could share a room with my best friend, I was all in on that.
