Chapter 1

Ava Jenkins stared at the stark white medical report in her hand. The black letters spelled out a death sentence: Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. A rare, fatal heart condition. Her doctor said she had maybe a year left, maybe less.

Her flamboyant, brightly colored dress suddenly felt like a costume for a clown at a funeral. Underneath the makeup and the wild clothes, she was just a girl who was dying.

She popped a piece of candy into her mouth. The sweetness was a small, temporary shield against the bitterness flooding her. She needed to see him. She needed to see Liam Hayes.

She walked into the high-end law firm, her colorful presence a stark contrast to the muted tones of mahogany and gray. Liam was there, talking to colleagues, his tailored suit perfect, his expression cool and distant.

"Uncle Liam," she called out, her voice a little too loud, a little too cheerful.

He turned, his eyes barely hiding his annoyance. A few of the younger lawyers snickered. They all knew about the struggling artist who was hopelessly in love with the firm's star lawyer, a man she called her uncle.

"Ava. What are you doing here?" His voice was cold, professional.

She ignored the stares and walked right up to him, holding out a small, elegantly wrapped box. "I got you something."

Inside was a tie clip, a simple, silver one she' d spent her last dollars on. She' d noticed he didn' t have one.

Liam didn' t even look at it. "I don't need it. You should go."

"Just take it," she insisted, trying to push it into his hand.

He pulled away as if her touch burned him. "I have a meeting." He turned his back on her and walked away, leaving her standing there with the rejected gift.

She wouldn't give up. She waited for him, and when he left the building, she jumped into the passenger seat of his car before he could lock it. He froze, his hand on the steering wheel.

"Get out, Ava."

"Just drive me home, please," she said, her voice smaller now. She just wanted a few more minutes with him.

He sighed, a sound of pure exasperation, and started the car. As he drove, she reached over to fasten his seatbelt for him, her fingers brushing his chest. He flinched and grabbed her wrist.

"Don't."

She wanted to tell him everything. About the diagnosis. About how scared she was. About how much she loved him. But the words got stuck in her throat.

When they reached her apartment building, he stopped the car. "Ava, we need to stop this. Don't come to my office again. Don't call me. We're not children anymore."

He got out, walked around to her side, and opened the door, practically dragging her out onto the sidewalk. He didn't look at her again before getting back in his car and speeding away.

She watched the taillights disappear, then turned and walked inside. The moment she opened the door to her apartment, a sharp slap hit her face.

"Where have you been, you little tramp?" her stepmother, Martha Jenkins, screamed. "Chasing after Liam again?"

Ava' s head snapped back from the force. Before she could recover, Martha shoved a piece of thick, expensive cardstock into her hand.

It was an engagement invitation.

Liam Hayes and Chloe Jenkins.

Her stepsister.