Page 1 of Follow the Rhythm
Prologue
The roof of my dorm was my favorite place at school. My building was right at the edge of campus, so depending on which way I looked, I could either look over the tidy landscaping of St. Hildegard School of the Arts or out towards the woods that pressed close to the red brick wall that contained us.
It also provided a much-needed break from the other girls in my grade. I wasn’tunpopular, but I could only fake it so long before I needed an escape to take the edge off. It felt like we were in constant competition with each other, and since I kept winning the prizes and praise, I knew they were all whispering behind my back.
But the best part of the roof was that Ellis had found a way to sneak up and hang out with me.
I wasn’t sure why he’d chosen me as someone worthy of hanging out with, so I tried not to think about it. I just hoarded each interaction to obsess over later.
The sun was just dipping below the tops of the trees when he arrived, making the jump from his dorm roof to mine look graceful.
I’d done a portrait of him for my final project this year, and Mr. Finch had called it “arresting.” It was a good word for Ellis. He had loved sitting for the painting. I was proud of the way I’d captured his intensity, even if I hadn’t been able to replicate the exact blue of his eyes. He was tall and elegant, with thick, straight black hair that hung to his chin, and those piercing, almond-shaped blue eyes.
I pulled out my earbuds and paused my music.
“You’re brooding, darling,” he said, taking his usual seat next to me. My heart rate picked up like it did every time I caught a whiff of his orange and cinnamon scent. He’d presented as an Alpha earlier that year, and his scent had intensified at a corresponding rate to my obsession with being around him.
I frowned. “I’m not brooding. I’m contemplating the futility of life.”
Ellis grabbed my phone. “The Smiths? You shouldn’t listen to ‘Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now’ on a rooftop. People might make assumptions.” He raised an eyebrow.
If I had to pick a reason Ellis and I clicked, it would be our taste in music. He’d asked me what I was listening to on my third day at St. Hildegard’s, and after I’d stared at him stupidly for a full five seconds, I finally choked out “Beck.” He’d nodded approvingly and then launched into a monologue about howOdelaywas overrated andMidnite Vultureswas by far the superior album. He was thrilled when I offered him an earbud so we could listen together.
Ellis was obsessed with music, which made sense since he was studying voice, guitar, and piano. I was obsessed too, but had absolutely zero musical talent, hence the fine art concentration.
“If I were really thinking about jumping, I’d choose ‘There Is a Light That Never Goes Out.’ Much more romantic,” I said.
“Shouldn’t we be celebrating rather than listening to sad new wave?” Ellis asked.
“Youcan celebrate. You’re getting out of here and leaving me behind to rot,” I replied. Ellis was graduating in a week, and I still had a whole year of high school purgatory left.
“It’s hardly rotting,” Ellis snorted.
I gave him a wry look, then sighed. “At least we’ll get to hang out this summer,” I said, leaning back on my palms and turning my face to the last rays of the sun. I’d convinced Aunt Natalie to let him come and stay with us for a couple of weeks after promising he wouldn’t make me a teen mom. He had never even kissed me, so there was very little chance of that happening.
“About that…” Ellis said.
I turned to glare at him. “You can’t bail on me; we have tickets to see Young the Giant!”
“I’m sorry, darling, but I have a golden opportunity,” he said. At first, I thought his slight British accent was an affectation to make himself evenmoreinterestingly attractive, but it was a legit byproduct of growing up there with his mom for the first seven years of his life. And I did love being called “darling.”
“What could possibly be more important than hanging out with me?” I joked, covering up the twang of hurt in my chest.
Ellis pulled me to his side. His scent wrapped around me, the orange notes crisper than usual. “You know the only thing that could take me from your side is a chance at fame and fortune,” he said.
“Yeah, right.”
Ellis squeezed me, then let me go again. “I’m going to London. There’s a pub that’s willing to let me play for tips, hopefully get my name out there.”
“London?” I asked too loudly. My heart started thundering. “Couldn’t you find a place in the city?” I asked, trying to keep the desperation out of my voice. Fairview City was just a few hourssouth of St. Hildegard, close enough that maybe he could visit. London was… a disaster.
“I wouldn’t have free rent in the city,” Ellis said. “My mum’s old friend is giving me a free room.”
My stomach dropped, and I gripped my phone tightly against the wave of panic that engulfed me. Gone. To London.
“Well. Good luck, then, I guess,” I said. The temperature had dropped along with the sun. May upstate was still chilly enough to need a sweater at night, and I pulled mine closer around me.
“Jessie, don’t be like that, darling,” he pleaded. “You’re supposed to be happy for me!”
