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Prologue
NATALIE
I RAN LIKE A girl whose life depended on it.
And mine did.
I ran down the giant spiral staircase, I ran over passed-out bodies on the floor, I ran through the ornate French doors, and I ran for another five blocks until I found it physically impossible to breathe anymore.
After making sure the danger hasn’t followed me, I force myself to stop next to a giant oak tree to catch my breath, feeling the coldness on my skin as tiny snowflakes fall slowly around me from the dark, ominous sky. A dusting of snow covers the streets. It’s a little early for this time of year, but that’s what happens when you live in New England.
My body begins to shake from the cold but even more so from the adrenaline and shock spreading throughout it like an unrelenting wildfire. I’m holding my head in my shaking hands as I try to wrap my mind around what has just happened.
It feels like I’mdrowning, gasping for air, as every labored breath I exhale is seen in the frigid night engulfing me. I reach for the tree next to me for support and notice my trembling hand feels slightly wet and sticky. When I turn it over, all color drains from my face.
There’s blood smeared on my palm, and the sight of it causes my knees to buckle and shake. A wave of nausea washes over me as I start to lose consciousness, and I lean my body against the tree so as not to collapse on the hard ground. Slowly, I slide down it, resting my head against the cold, rough bark, and gradually close my eyes.
The oversized, flimsy football jersey fails to protect my body from the unkind elements, as seen in my fingers, which, when I open my eyes, notice that they are beginning to turn a light shade of blue. My bare feet are surrounded by snow, making my teeth chatter uncontrollably.
A cool, tiny trickle of blood slides down my left cheek and drips onto the pure white snow beside me. An unrelenting sob grips my throat and gradually escapes from my lips.
I turn my head to the side when I faintly hear a voice yelling in the distance. It sounds like they are saying my name, but I can’t be sure because a high-pitched ringing begins to resonate in my ears.
My attention then immediately turns to the flashing red and blue lights moving down the street at an alarming rate, which is the last thing I remember.
One
NATALIE
TEN MONTHS LATER
BOSTON IS ALWAYS A good idea.
Or wait, is it Paris? Either way, Boston is my new home.
“Mom, I don’t need anything else. This place is amazing,” I say for what feels like the hundredth time today. Looking around my new apartment, I realize how amazing it actually is with its exposed brick walls and massive windows overlooking the Charles River.
It’s perfect.
“Natalie, I’m your mother and just want to ensure you have everything you need before we leave you here all alone. We are not just down the street, you know.” My mom says this as she throws her well-manicured hands up in the air to be dramatic.
“I know, mom.” I give her a slight smile and see that her eyes are beginning to brim with tears, so I look away before I start to cry too.
It’s move-in week for students at Linrey University, which is why my family helped me pack a U-Haul and transport my things almost three hours away from my hometown of Greenwich, CT, to live here in Boston, MA.
When I made the decision to attend LU, my mom felt the distance would be too much for me to handle. She had pleaded with me to apply to every school in Connecticut so that I would never leave home. She even tried to bribe me with a beautiful new car that now resides in the garage of my parents’ house.
But staying close to home wasn’t what I wanted or needed for the next stage of my life. I needed to be someplace where I could have a fresh start. A place where I wouldn’t know anyone and no one would know me. And finally, after much convincing on my part, my parents accepted that this was where I wanted to be for the next four years.
However, if I was going to be living three hours from home, my parents insisted on renting an apartment for me so that I wouldn’t have to live in a dorm room on campus. I protested, telling them I wanted the whole college experience, but at the same time, I was somewhat relieved at the thought of having a space all to myself and not adjusting to a roommate, which is why I gave in fairly quickly.
And now, as I take in my new home, I’m so glad I gave in.
My dad spent the afternoon connecting all the appliances and ensuring they worked properly. Jason, my not-so-little brother, was in charge of all the heavy lifting of furniture while my mother and I pointed to where it should be placed. And eventually, after a few hours of bringing in and setting up everything, we were finished.
It’s not until I sit down on the sofa, feeling exhausted, and look around the space, that the realization hits.
I’m going to be living on my own.
