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moment, I see that boy I met on my first day at Santa Anna, the boy who came over and helped me when I couldn’t get my locker open.
    The boy who sat next to me in study hall, the boy who all the girls wanted and who, for some reason, wanted me.
    An aching want wells up inside of me, followed by this overwhelming sadness for what could have been if things had just been different.
    I kiss him on the cheek, and he looks surprised.
    “Natalia,” he whispers.
    But I shake my head and put my finger to his lips before he can say anything else.
    “I’m sorry,” I say. “But I can’t.”
    I walk toward my house and when I get inside, I turn around and look out the window. Cam’s still standing there in the road, staring at the door.
    The longing is still there in my heart, the intense wish that Cam was just a boy I met at my new school. But I push those thoughts away. That’s not what happened, and so there’s no use thinking about it.
    I stand there for another moment, and then I turn away from the window and head upstairs to check on my mom.

Chapter Four

    Campbell
    I walk back to my truck, sadness and regret bubbling up inside of me, brought on by seeing Nat again, being close to her, feeling like we’re supposed to be together, that we both know it and yet somehow we can’t ever get it right.
    Or maybe I’m the one who can’t get it right.
    Inside my car, I’m trying hard not to cry. It’s stupid to cry, stupid to feel all these things for a girl that I’ve known for less than a school term.
    I start the engine and pull out of the driveway, not knowing where I’m going. I don’t want to go home and have to talk to my mother, and I certainly don’t want to see Aidan for a little while.
    Driving faster than I probably should, it hits me hard that Nat is going to be in big trouble if she just tries to pretend none of this is happening. She doesn’t want to know about Becca or those papers I found in Hadley’s room, she doesn’t want to see or hear anything that will interfere with her belief that she can just put all of this stuff behind her.
    As far as Nat is concerned, she has Raine’s necklace and that’s all there is to it.
    But I know that’s not true. I know they’re going to keep coming after Natalia, and they won’t stop until she kills them or they kill her.
    My hands are sweating on the steering wheel. I need to do something, I need to find a way to help Nat—to protect her—even if she doesn’t want me to anymore.
    And then it hits me. I know what I need to do.
    A few minutes later, I’m parking in front of Brody’s house. It feels strange because I used to come here a lot when Brody and I were getting along. But then we got competitive about football, and then Natalia transferred to Santa Anna.
    Funny how things change.
    I walk to the door and knock a few times.
    A moment later, Brody’s mom answers the door. At first when she sees me, it’s like she doesn’t even recognize me. I think maybe Kaci and Brody have trashed me and she’s going to tell me to get the hell off their property.
    But then her expression transforms into one of pure joy. “Oh my goodness!
    Campbell Elliot!”
    She moves aside and lets me in, then gives me a big hug. I can hear voices in the other room. “Sorry for just showing up unannounced, Mrs. Martin,” I say guiltily.
    “Not at all!” she says. “In fact, your timing couldn’t be better. We just sat down to dinner a few minutes ago and there’s plenty of food to go around.”
    “Oh, no. That’s okay. I actually just wanted to have a quick word with Brody.”
    The thought of sitting at the table with Brody’s family makes my stomach turn.
    “Campbell,” she says, pretending to be a little angry with me. “Don’t insult my hospitality. You’re going to eat or I’m going to be very, very offended.”
    I sigh. Shit, this is going to get awkward. All I can hope is that Kaci is out somewhere. I haven’t heard her voice, so maybe—
    And then I