-Blake West:
The moment we turned off the main road and onto the familiar, narrow street shaded with overgrown orange trees, my heart kicked up its pace. The breeze smelled different here. Brighter. Warmer. Home. I hadn't been back in years, not since my mom and I last visited Aunt Lily for Christmas. It felt surreal now, coming back without her. Everything still hurt—her face, her laugh, her perfume lingering in old scarves—but somehow, knowing I'd see aunt Lily again helped soften the ache.
Zade's motorcycle rumbled beneath us as he slowed near the sidewalk. The ride had been loud and fast and terrifying in the best possible way. I hadn't stopped grinning since we left the restaurant. Well, I hadn't stopped since the second Zade told Kayla and Chris off, handed me a bouquet of flowers in front of them, and whisked me out like some kind of knight with a wavy kinda frizzy head of messy armor.
