Ten Years Prior
Lucas kicked a pebble along the edge of the playground, only half-listening to the other boys bragging about how fast they could run or how many pushups they could do. The sky was bright and sharp above them, sunlight pulling warm on his shoulders, but all he felt was tight.
It was always like this when Celia was around.
She was by the swing with two other girls, braiding bits of grass together, her honey hair falling over her shoulder in a glossy sheet. He watched her without meaning to. It was like his eyes couldn’t help it.
And that was the problem.
His father’s words echoed in his head: “Stop sniffing about that little stray. You’ll only make things harder for yourself and for me.”
Lucas scowled at the ground, shoulders hunching. He didn’t want to make things har
