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Prologue
Reli
The rain pours down just as my tears do. My breath is caught in my lungs as I try and wrap my head around this day. A wail shrills through the air and I turn just in time to find Talia, my step-mother, collapsing to the floor. Everyone rushes around her, making sure she’s okay. I can’t move; I’m rooted to the spot.
Three days ago, I lost the only person who loved me. I lost my only parent. My dad had a heart attack. He was only fifty-four. He was healthy and active, he watched what he ate and yet, here we are, attending his funeral. I’m surrounded by people I don’t know, all of them worrying about Talia and her daughters, yet no one has even glanced at me. I’m mad but, at the same time, I’m grateful. I couldn’t bear all the pitying looks that they’ve been throwing Talia and the girls. I’m fifteen, and I’ve lost both parents. I have no family left.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” a deep, husky voice calls out. I turn to see a man standing against the wall smoking a cigarette. “Your dad was a good man; one of the best, in fact.”
I stand up, my legs wobbly beneath me, but I manage to take a step toward the man. “You know my dad?” I shake my head, “You knew him?” The correction has my voice coming out soft and uneven but full of hope. Hope of having a little bit more of my dad in my life.
He nods. “Yes, I’ve known your father since I was a little boy.” His voice sends shivers throughout my body. “I knew your mom too.” Something about this man is familiar but yet I can’t put my finger on where I know this man from.
“You did?” That’s a surprise; other than my father and his business partner, I haven’t met anyone else that knew my mom. She died when I was five; she was in a car accident and was killed on impact.
His lips tilt slightly as he pulls in a drag of his cigarette. “Yes, I knew your mom. You don’t know who I am, do you?” he questions, his eyes alight with humor.
I frown. I can’t place him. My brain is fuzzy as I try and recall a memory but it’s no use. “No, I’m sorry. Should I?”
He shakes his head. “I suppose not. It’s been years since I last saw you; saw your father. I’m John.” His eyes glance over my body. “You’ve grown a lot.”
I feel vulnerable. I know that look, the darkening of his eyes and the way he keeps staring at me. I shake it off. “Yeah, I have,” I respond, unsure of what to say.
“There you are.” Another voice calls out and I look past John to see Markus Princeton, my father’s business partner. “Yoreli, I’ve been looking for you all day,” he says, pulling me into his arms. He’s the first person to do that to me. He’s the first person to hold me since my father died. “How are you holding up?” he asks me. I swallow, not wanting to answer because if I do I know that I’m going to lose it. “You’re going to be okay,” he says softly, tightening his arms around me.
“Thank you,” I say as I take a step backward, his arms loosening around me.
“You ever need anything, Yoreli, please don’t hesitate to call me.”
I nod, knowing that I’ll never make that phone call.
“Ready?” he asks John and I’m wondering how they know each other.
“Yeah, Dad.”
It finally clicks; he’s Markus’ son. I haven’t seen him in years. He’s changed a lot since the last time I saw him. I feel awful that I didn’t recognize him. Our families have been intertwined for years. Our fathers were best friends, had been since they were in college.
Markus reaches out his hand and gently touches my face. “Fifteen and so strong already,” he says before letting go and walking away.
“Fifteen?” John repeats once his father is out of earshot. “You’re fifteen?”
I square my shoulders and raise an eyebrow. “Yes, is that a problem?”
His jaw tightens. “It’s a fucking huge problem.”
“What?” I gasp; what the hell is wrong with him?
