Lucien's discovery

lated risks, well-researched decisions, and the comfort of predictability.

hed, and for a brief moment, he was completely weightless. Then, with a deafening splash, they hit

him, laughing. "You s

om his eyes, breathle

swimming backward wit

e clearer than Lucien had ever noticed before. Maybe it was because, for t

oring as I thoug

ank

ed. "You

surprising himself, he

shed him.

bout the jump-it was about what it represented. For the first time in his life, he h

off balance. Moana had a way of pulling him into her world-a world of reckless adventure

ti artist with a talent for hacking; Sasha, a dancer who swore by the philosophy of living without regret; and Marcus, who ran

the city. It was reckless and possibly illegal, but as Lucien stood among the rusting roller

n circles under the flickering remnants of a neon sig

predictable, and completely unlike anyone he'd ever known. And he was s

hey sat on the rooftop of her apartment building, sha

nd smirked. "And you run toward everyt

didn'

both idiots,"

loser, eyes gl

ompletely unlike anything Lucien had ever experienc

aled quickl

nd kept up appearances. But by night, he was with Moana-breaking into abandoned buildings, racing motorcycles

ating. Addicti

night, every

d with a

teased as they sat in a smoky undergro

d. "Because i

. "It's only illega

ebrow. "That's

genius boy. Let's see

end electronics store, the kind of place Lucien's father probably owned sh

y into him. But standing beside Moana, with adrenaline in his veins and the memor

e di

eeve when no one was looking. His heart pounded as they w

ng her arms around his neck.

een exhilaration and panic. "I

d. "Told you. Feels

oment, he cou

es had a way o

in the store. The store owner had reported suspicious activity that n

eart

collided. The university wouldn't expel hi

r would b

. He could deny it. Blame it on bad lighting. But then, they showed him

at she was a bad influence. That he

d a choic

, he confr

n her apartment. "They have fo

h, unimpressed. "So what?

" he snapped. "I can't ju

ned. "So what are you sa

hesitat

guess what? Life isn't neat. It's messy. It's risk and r

ight. He was trying to exist in both

I'm doing," he ad

closer, resting a hand on his che

ld, unpredictable force that ha

hing, he wasn't re

-

rning, he had

and accepted his punishment-a warning, a mark

r never f

r him outside. "So,

and. "Now? We see

of the life he thought

ed into t

hapter 6: The C