Nobody can know.

The first thing I noticed about the Young house was that it didn't look like a house. It looked like the kind of place rich people bought when they had already run out of things to spend their money on. I stared through the car window as we rolled slowly through the enormous black gates, watching them close behind us. For a second, I considered asking the driver if he had the right address. Then I remembered that my mother had spent the entire morning reminding me that this was where we lived now. So, apparently, the answer was yes. The mansion stood at the end of a long, perfectly paved driveway. Tall trees lined both sides, their branches trimmed so neatly that I wondered if someone actually came out here with a ruler. A stone fountain sat in the middle of the circular driveway in front of the house. Water spilled continuously from one level into another, making a soft, calming sound. The house itself was enormous. White walls. Tall windows. Dark roofing. Wide balconies. Everything looked expensive. Almost too expensive. There were security cameras mounted discreetly around the property, and two guards stood near the entrance. I noticed them before they noticed me. Or maybe they had noticed me the entire time. That thought made me sit back in my seat. "Still time to turn around," I muttered. My mother glanced at me. "What?" "Nothing." She gave me the look. The one that meant she knew I'd said something but wasn't going to force me to repeat it. I looked down at my clothes. Jeans. White sneakers. A fitted black top underneath my jacket. Nothing fancy. Nothing that belonged in a house like this. I wasn't ashamed of what I was wearing. I just suddenly felt very aware of it. The car came to a stop. My mother opened her door. "Come on, Maddie." I stayed where I was for another second before finally opening mine. Warm air hit my face as I stepped onto the driveway. I looked up at the mansion. Yeah. Definitely not a house. I reached for my bag, but before I could pull it out, the front door opened. Kevin stepped outside. His face immediately brightened when he saw me. "There's my girl." I couldn't help smiling. "Hi, Kevin." He walked down the steps and pulled me into a quick hug. "Look at you." I laughed softly. "I'm still me." "I know." He took my bag before I could stop him. "I can carry that." "I know." "Then give it back." "No." I stared at him. He smiled. My mother walked ahead of us, already talking about the boxes that needed to be taken inside. I followed. The front doors were tall and dark, framed by white stone. The moment I stepped inside, I stopped. The foyer was enormous. Polished floors reflected the light from a massive chandelier hanging overhead. A wide staircase stood directly ahead, splitting at the bottom before curving toward opposite sides of the upper floor. Everything was spotless. Too spotless. I suddenly became terrified of touching something. Kevin looked back at me. "You can breathe, Maddie." "I am breathing." "You've been staring at the floor for ten seconds." "I'm trying not to break anything." He laughed. "Nothing here is that fragile." I looked at the chandelier. "I'm not convinced." My mother laughed as she walked past us. Then I noticed him. He was standing near the staircase. The first thing I noticed was his height. He was tall—taller than I expected and lean without looking skinny. His dark hair was slightly messy, falling naturally across his forehead. Sharp cheekbones and a strong jaw gave his face a serious look, made even colder by his dark eyes. We were the same age. He wore grey sweatpants, a black shirt, and an expensive-looking watch on his wrist. One hand was tucked into his pocket. He wasn't smiling. He wasn't curious. He simply watched me. And somehow, the look in his eyes made me feel like I'd walked into his house without permission. Kevin noticed him. "Nicholas." The boy's eyes shifted toward his father. "Yeah?" "Come say hello." Nick didn't move immediately. My mother smiled politely. "Nick, this is Madeline." His eyes returned to me. Nicholas Young. Nick. The son. The person I'd heard about but never actually met. He finally pushed away from the staircase and walked toward us. Up close, he was even more intimidating. He stopped a few feet away. His eyes moved over me once before returning to my face. "Hi," I said. "Hi." Silence. I waited. He didn't say anything else. Okay. I looked at Kevin. Kevin cleared his throat. "Nick, Madeline will be staying here from now on." "I know." His voice was flat. I raised an eyebrow. "Good talk." His eyes came back to mine. For the briefest second, something almost like amusement appeared in them. Then it vanished. "I have somewhere to be." He turned and walked toward the hallway. I stared after him. "Wow." He didn't stop. My mother gave me a warning look. "What?" "Nothing." Kevin sighed quietly. "Nick takes some time to warm up." I looked toward the hallway. "Does he warm up?" Kevin laughed. "Eventually." I wasn't convinced. Not even slightly. My mother touched my arm. "Come on. I'll show you your room." I followed her upstairs. The upper floor stretched into a long hallway with several large doors on either side. My footsteps echoed softly against the polished floor. My mother stopped at one of the doors. "This one is yours." She opened it. I stepped inside. And forgot what I was going to say. The room was huge. A king-sized bed sat against the far wall, covered in white and gray bedding. Large windows stretched almost from the floor to the ceiling, filling the room with afternoon sunlight. Near the windows were two soft chairs and a small table. Glass doors led to a private balcony. I walked toward them. Outside, I could see the gardens, the driveway, and the fountain below. I turned back toward the room. "You've got to be kidding." My mother smiled. "No." "Why is this my room?" "Because it's your room." "There's no way I'm sleeping in here." "Why?" "Because I feel like I'm supposed to have a butler." She laughed. I walked toward the closet. Then stopped. It was bigger than my old bedroom. Rows of empty shelves lined the walls, along with more hanging space than I could possibly need. I stared. "This is insane." My mother leaned against the doorway. "You'll get used to it." I looked at her. "That's the problem." Her smile faded slightly. She understood what I meant. Getting used to this meant accepting that things had changed. The house. The family. Our lives. Everything. I sat on the edge of the bed. The mattress practically swallowed me. I frowned. "This bed is trying to eat me." She laughed. For a few seconds, everything felt normal. Just me and my mother. Then she looked toward the hallway. "Nick can be difficult." I sighed. "That's kinda obvious." "He's had a lot of changes too." I didn't answer. I didn't know Nick well enough to care. And maybe that was unfair. But he hadn't exactly made an effort. My mother came closer. "Just give him time." "Did he already know I was staying here?" "Yes." "Does he like it?" She paused. That pause told me enough. I smiled without humor. "Right." "Maddie—" "I'm fine." "You don't have to be fine." "But I said I am." She studied me for a moment before nodding. "Okay." She walked toward the door. "I'll let you unpack." I nodded. The door clicked shut. Silence filled the room. I sat there for a while, staring at the floor. This was supposed to be a new beginning. That was what everyone kept calling it. A new beginning. I wasn't sure new beginnings were supposed to feel this strange. I stood and walked toward the balcony. The glass doors opened almost silently. Cool air brushed against my face. From up there, the property looked unreal. Beautiful. Perfect. Untouchable. Somewhere downstairs, I heard voices. Kevin. My mother. Then the front door opened. A moment later, I heard a car start outside. I walked closer to the balcony railing. A black sports car pulled away from the house and disappeared through the gates. Nick. I watched until the car was completely out of sight. Then I looked back at the enormous room behind me. I had no idea what I was supposed to do with all this space. Or what I was supposed to do with a new family. I only knew that my old life was over. And somehow, standing alone in a room that was bigger than my entire old bedroom, I had the strangest feeling that my new life was going to be anything but simple.