Chapter 1

Ethan was at it again, for the tenth time this month, pacing my small dorm room at UC Berkeley.

"Sarah, I'm telling you, Chloe needs me, Harvard can wait."

His voice, usually so sure, had a weird edge to it, like he was trying to convince himself, not just me.

I opened my mouth to argue, the same old arguments we'd been cycling through, but then something flickered at the edge of my vision.

Words, bright white, like subtitles, but floating in the air.

I blinked, hard. The words stayed.

My heart hammered, a cold shock washing over me. Main girl? His story?

Instead of the angry words I' d planned, I heard myself say, "Okay, Ethan."

He stopped pacing. "Okay? Just like that?"

He looked genuinely surprised, which was a surprise in itself, he usually just expected me to eventually give in.

I nodded, my throat tight.

I remembered that awful night last semester, on the rooftop of the chemistry building. I' d been so overwhelmed by his plans even then, his constant talk of Chloe, this high school junior he was suddenly obsessed with.

I' d felt like I was drowning.

Then Alex Chen, a guy from one of my GE classes I barely knew, had appeared out of nowhere.

He' d seen me crying, looking over the edge, and clearly thought the worst.

He' d rushed forward, grabbed my arm, a bit too hard in his panic, and we' d both stumbled.

We ended up with a twisted ankle for me and a scraped elbow for him, and an awkward trip to the student health center. He' d been so apologetic, so kind, even though he' d completely misunderstood.

Now, more of those damn pop-up comments appeared, overlaying Ethan' s confused face.

My stomach twisted. Secret preparations? He hadn't told me anything about that.