The only person Eden Anderson would risk everything to protect was, and had always been, Lucas Powell.

Since that day, Eden had barely seen him. Whenever Shelby Rivera invited her out, she would instinctively decline the moment she heard Lucas might be there. She no longer went out of her way to act bubbly and cheerful around other guys, a desperate, clumsy performance meant to catch his eye or spite him.

The words she had spoken to him that day had been like tearing through the last veil of pretense between them. With that veil gone, they had effectively become strangers.

It was early May. The air was still biting, and a fierce wind whipped across the campus, thrashing the trees and hedges.

On the afternoon of the second day of midterms, Eden arrived at the testing room early, opening her textbook to review. Suddenly, she heard Kane Perez’s voice drifting in from outside. He and a few other boys were leaning against a tree, hands tucked deep into their pockets.

"His mother actually tried to end it. Barely survived. All because his old man brought a mistress home," Kane sneered.

"Then why does he act like such a prince? His dad’s loaded, but the money probably goes to the illegitimate kid. A rich kid’s life is cheaper than dirt, isn't it?"

"Why do you think they call him the school heartthrob?"

The moment Kane finished, the other boys erupted in raucous laughter.

A sharp rap on the window made Eden look up. Kane was leaning against the window frame, arms crossed, eyes hooded as he stared at her with a look of pure contempt. He tipped his chin at her, signaling for her to come out.

The students inside the classroom had clearly heard the commotion; whispers began to snake through the rows.

"Is that for real?"

"How could Lucas be that pathetic?"

"After going through something like that, you’ve gotta be a little messed up in the head, right?"

The proctor walked in with a stack of tests, but Eden just slammed her book shut, stood up, and marched out of the classroom without a word.

"Eden! The test is about to start! Where are you going?"

She didn't look back. She strode out of the building and found Kane waiting at the entrance.

"Whoa, the golden girl is skipping her exam?"

Eden marched straight up to him, grabbed his collar, and threw everything she had into a sharp, stinging slap across his face. She didn't know how much it hurt Kane, but her hand felt like it was on fire.

"Are you insane?" Kane stared at her, disbelief written all over his face. When he saw her winding up for another hit, he lunged forward, gripping her wrists with bruising force.

"I said a few things about him, what’s it to you?" Kane let out a dry, jagged laugh. "I haven't even settled the score for that punch he landed on me last time. I’ve got some guys waiting behind the bar at the city strip. I’m dying to see how pathetic he looks once they’re done with him."

A roar filled Eden’s ears. She ignored the agony in her wrists, kicked him hard in the shin, and scrambled away, sprinting toward the school gate.

Her face was deathly pale. Images of Lucas being cornered by a pack of thugs flashed in her mind, and her vision blurred with hot, sudden tears. Why was she crying? He was infuriating. He didn't like her. He spent his time with other girls and gave her that hollow "let’s be friends" garbage.

But he was Lucas. He was the Lucas Eden loved.

The wind lashed at her skin, biting through her clothes until she was shivering violently. When she finally reached the alley behind the bar, gasping for air, she saw them. Lucas was already on the ground, his face bloodied, pinned down by a gang of thugs. The sound of fists and clubs thudding against him was sickening.

Through the tears, she saw one of the guys pick up an empty glass bottle and head toward Lucas.

Her mind went blank. Instinct took over. She lunged forward, throwing her body over Lucas to shield him. She heard the bottle shatter against her own back, and a wave of raw, blinding pain surged through her, dragging her consciousness into the dark.

In that moment, Eden finally understood: liking someone could hurt like hell.

When Eden woke up, she was in the hospital. Lucas was sitting in the chair beside her bed, his eyes rimmed with red. The bruises on his face had been treated.

"Does it still hurt?" he asked, his voice raw and raspy.

Eden shook her head, whispering, "And you?"

Lucas didn't answer. He stared down at his hands, his expression strained as if he were bottling up an ocean of emotion.

After a long silence, he finally asked, "Why did you skip your test? Why did you jump in front of that bottle?"

Eden parted her lips, but he cut her off, his voice cold and hard. "Do you have a death wish?"

"Brother," Molly Lee said, walking in from the hallway. "I picked up the prescription the doctor ordered..." She looked at the bed and lit up. "Eden! You’re awake! Are you okay?"

Eden nodded. Lucas didn't take his eyes off her, waiting for an answer.

"You only got into trouble with Kane because you helped me that day," Eden said, her voice trembling as she fought back tears. "I just thought… if something actually happened to you, how would I live with that? How could I ever repay that debt? I’d rather it have been me."

Lucas lowered his head, his jaw tightening. He didn't say another word.

"Eden, don't say that," Molly said, hovering nearby. "I heard about what happened. My brother would have helped anyone who was being harassed. It was my fault, really—if I hadn't insisted on swapping chore duties with you... Anyway, it’s all Kane’s fault. Neither of you did anything wrong, I swear."

Right. He would have helped anyone. But the only person Eden would burn her world down for was Lucas.

After that, Kane was suspended and sent home for disciplinary action. The rumors about Lucas’s family life eventually died down, thanks to their teacher, Virginia Rogers, stepping in.

Half a semester flew by. After finals, Easton Ward mentioned that his uncle had opened a new music bistro with a luxury villa out back, and he invited the group for an overnight getaway. Eden wanted to say no, but Shelby wouldn't hear of it.

"Look at you—you’ve worn yourself out studying. You’re coming, and you’re going to relax!"

That evening, the boys went out to play basketball, and Shelby followed them, leaving Eden and Molly alone in the villa's lounge.

"Eden, can we talk? I haven’t been feeling great lately," Molly said quietly.

"Sure," Eden replied. "What’s up?"

"It’s about my brother," Molly said.

Eden froze, silence settling between them.

"You’ve heard the rumors about his family, right? I’ve been dying to talk to someone about it, but I don't trust the others. Even Shelby—I don't want to tell her too much. But I want to tell you. I feel like you’re different. I really trust you."

Molly took a breath. "His mom tried to take her own life back when he was in middle school. I was at tutoring, but the neighbors told me everything. He had just finished playing basketball, checked his phone, and saw a text from her. It said: ‘Son, Mom can't stay with you anymore. Take care of yourself.’"

Eden’s heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vice.

"She had taken a bottle of sleeping pills. If his dad hadn't rushed home when he did, she wouldn't have made it to the ER in time. After that, he wasn't the same. He stopped being so lively. He always seemed to be hiding something. When people asked if he was okay, he’d just smile and say he was fine.

"Then his parents divorced. His mom struggled with depression after that. She lost control of her emotions during her bad spells. Later, she moved in with her parents for care. We lived right next door. When he was home alone, my grandmother would feel so bad for him—she’d call him over for dinner every night, cooking him everything he liked.

"A lot of people liked him, but they drifted away once they heard about his family. But not me. My grandma says I have a heart like a little sun, so I promised myself I’d do everything I could to warm him up.

"Oh, by the way, Eden. There’s something you probably don't know yet. He’s moving to London."

"London?" Eden whispered.

"Yeah. My aunt has an old friend who does business over there. He was head-over-heels for her back in college. His wife passed away last year, and he reached out to my aunt, offering to help her and Lucas start a new life. She said yes.

"I’m going to miss him so much, but I think he’ll be happier there. A fresh start. And when I go to university, I can always go visit him."

Eden sat perfectly still, listening. Inside, she felt like a hollow shell. A cold wind seemed to be howling through the cavernous space where her heart used to be, stinging every jagged edge.