Prologue

AUDREY, TWELVE YEARS OLD

P arker!” I shouted across the street, the brunette boy turning his head at the sound of my voice.

Today, he was dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt, but I still thought he was the most beautiful boy I’ve ever met.

I’m going to marry him someday, I thought to myself.

He was my first crush and my first friend outside of my twin sister, Ella, and he was always down for adventures. A year older than me, and yet he never treated me like a little sister. I was already sad that he’d be leaving me for High School next year.

Parker’s face rose when he caught sight of me, but then fell again.

“Hi,” I said, coming to stand in front of him, fiddling with the strap of my pink overalls.

“Hey, Rosie.”

Whenever he called me that, I blushed. Just like my nickname. Rosy cheeks—Audrey Rose— Rosie. He was the only person who used it, so it felt special.

“Why the long face?” I tightened my blonde high ponytail, so I had something to do with my hands.

“My parents just told me that we’re moving.”

“What?” I couldn’t keep the look of surprise off my face. “But… you’re my best friend.”

He gave me a sad smile, his toe digging into the dirt beneath us. “You’re my best friend too. I wish I didn’t have to go, but…” Parker’s shoulders slumped. “My dad got a job across the country. He’s going out in two weeks to find us a place to live. They said I could finish out the school year, but then we’ll join him.”

“That sucks. ”

“You said it.” He ran his hands through his hair, longer on top than on the sides. “But we’ll always be friends, won’t we?” Parker stuck out his pinky.

“Yes,” I agreed, wrapping my pinky around his. Pinky promise. “Always.” I smiled at him, even though I felt like my heart was breaking inside. You can’t go, I wanted to cry. “When do you leave?” Even I heard my voice break, and I hoped I didn’t start crying in front of him.

I’d always tried not to cry in front of Parker. I might have been a girly girl, always wearing pink and dresses, but I loved playing outside. We rode our bikes together, and I put on a brave face when I skinned my knees. We climbed trees together, and I didn’t complain when I got sap on my hands or twigs in my beautiful, golden curls.

When we were younger, we played princess and the knight who stormed the castle to save her from an evil dragon. He slashed through thorns (vines) and scaled a tall tower (the tree house in his family’s backyard) to save me from the beast (a large stuffed animal he pretended to stab). It was a good memory—one of the best.

“The week after school gets out. They want me to start high school in the new place.”

I did the math in my head— one month . I only had one more month left with Parker.

When I looked up at him, it was with a determined gaze. “Guess we’re going to have to fit as many adventures as possible in this last month then, won’t we?” It was a bravado I didn’t quite feel, but I was trying to put on a brave face for him. He was the one moving, and his sadness was warranted, but I didn’t want to make it worse.

He gave me a brilliant grin, nudging my shoulder with his. “That’s the spirit. It’ll be okay, you’ll see. And then you’ll find a new best friend and forget all about me.”

I sighed internally, wondering if that was possibly true. If I’d ever find another best friend who would replace him. At least I had Ella. She ensured I was never truly alone. Even if she was more introverted than me and preferred to stay inside and work on a craft project.

“I’ll never forget you,” I promised. “You’ll always be my best friend, Parker. Besides, we can keep in touch, right? Mom said I could get a cell phone soon. And we can write? Or email.”

He sighed. “Yeah. We’ll stay in touch. And maybe I can come back and visit.”

I nodded. “Yeah. Because I can’t go on the carnival rides alone.”

It was stupid, but I liked it when we rode the rides together. Sometimes, when I was scared, he’d slip his hand into mine and squeeze tight.

Parker laughed. “Alright. I’ll come back for the carnival.”

That summer, watching the Maxwells pack up their house, and their moving van drive away,… That was the year I learned about what it felt like for your heart to break. Despite his promise, he never came back. And our phone calls and emails slowly trickled away into nothing as we both got busy with life.

But I never forgot about the best friend who had held my heart in his hands.

And despite my vow to never feel that way again, I would get mine broken several times before I ever saw Parker again. When I fell, I fell fast and hard.

That was the curse of being a hopeless romantic.