Page 1 of Fragile Sanctuary

PROLOGUE

RHODES

PAST, AGE THIRTEEN

“What was it like?”Fallon whispered as the SUV bounced along the gravel road. There was a reverence in her voice, as if she were talking about God or some great work of art on a museum wall.

But we definitely weren’t.

I couldn’t seem to get that wide, cheesy smile off my face as Fallon’s mom drove us through the night, casting the occasional look back through the rearview mirror the way all moms seemed to do. My stomach swirled like I was on one of those carnival rides that spun round and round, pressing you against the wall. Then my grin got wider.

“You know when you’re on a rollercoaster and your stomach dips?”

Fallon nodded, her lightly curled hair swishing into her faceas her eyes shone.

“It was like that.” I collapsed against the far back SUV seat with a sigh.

Fallon tucked her knees up to her chest, resting her chin on them. “I knew Felix liked you. Iknewit.” She kept her voice low, whether it was to keep her mom from hearing or just her typical soft-spokenness, I didn’t know.

I couldn’t help the giggle that slipped past my lips as my stomach did another of those swirls. I hoped he liked me. But what Ireallywanted was for him to ask me out. Maybe we’d go to the movies. Or walk downtown holding hands.

I could still feel the press of his lips against mine for the count of one, two, three in the dark of the closet in Owen’s basement. We’d had seven minutes in that closet. Mostly, we’d talked. About Felix’s spring-break trip to the coast and mine to New York. But then he’d gotten quiet, leaned in, and?—

“Did he use his tongue?” Fallon whispered in the dark of the SUV.

“No,” I squealed, jerking upright.

Our eyes met, and we both burst out laughing.

Mrs. Colson’s gaze flicked briefly from the road to the rearview mirror. “What’s gotten into you two?”

Her question only made us laugh harder. I collapsed against Fallon as we giggled, not even sure what we were laughing about. Fallon and I spoke in a language that was all ours. Even our laughter had a sound that was ours alone. With how close our families were, she was more sister than best friend at this point.

The fact that my family didn’t have any relatives in Sparrow Falls only made the Colsons that much more important. We’d bonded, creating a ragtag group that was our chosen family, spending Thanksgivings and Christmases together.

When my parents moved us from New York to Sparrow Falls six years ago, my little sister and I had not been pleased. We had lives in the city. Friends and school. The last thing we’d wanted to do was move to a town of three thousand people in Middle-of-Nowhere, Oregon.

But I’d slowly fallen in love with it. And Fallon was a huge part of that. With her easy, wide smile despite her shyness, and how she welcomed everyone—even the new kid from New York, who everyone looked at a bit funny—we’d fallen into an easy friendship. And she was the best part of Sparrow Falls.

But Felix Hernandez might give her a run for her money with his dark brown hair, tanned skin, and soulful amber eyes. Just thinking about him made my skin flush hot, like I’d just stepped out into a blistering summer day.

Fallon let out a longing sigh. “With my brothers, I’ll probably never get a first kiss.”

I sent her a sympathetic smile but didn’t argue. Fallon had three older brothers. One by blood, Copeland. One adoptive, Shepard. And one foster, Trace. Her mom and grandma, Lolli, were always taking in kids who needed homes. Most came and went, some staying for as little as just a few days. But Cope, Shep, and Trace were permanent, leaving Fallon with lots of overprotectiveness in her life.

“Is there someone you want to kiss?” I asked. Fallon kept those kinds of feelings to herself most of the time. And her shyness kept her from talking to many of the boys in our class.

Even in the dark, I saw her cheeks flame. “I guess not. Most of the guys in our year are jerks.”

A laugh bubbled out of me. “You’ve got a point.” I might have snagged the only decent one.

Mrs. Colson pulled to a stop, putting the SUV in park and turning to face us. “First stop for the giggle brigade.” Her gaze flicked to me, warmth spreading across her face. “I’m glad you two had fun.”

Fallon’s mom had become like a second mother to me over the past few years, and I swore she knewsomethinghad happened at that party.Mom radar.I felt my cheeks heating and fought not to duck my head.

Fallon bit her bottom lip to stave off another burst of giggles and leaned closer. “Call me tomorrow. We can go to the river, and you can tell meeverything.”

“Right after breakfast.” My dad had a thing about Sundaybreakfasts. He would make a massive spread with pancakes or waffles, even crepes if he was feeling fancy. There were no phones or other interruptions allowed. Family time.

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