Chapter 1

The neon sign buzzed with that low, electric hum that seemed to vibrate right through the soles of my shoes and into my bones. It was a jagged, flickering monstrosity of pink and blue tubes, spelling out *THE STARLIGHT DRIVE-IN* against the velvet black of the early evening sky. The air smelled of burnt popcorn, old asphalt, and the faint, sweet scent of jasmine that drifted from the bushes lining the entrance lane. It was a smell that transported me back to being six years old, sitting in the backseat of my father’s sedan, eating sugary treats while he drove me to see cartoons on the big white screen. But tonight, the nostalgia was laced with something heavier, something thick and suffocating in my chest that had nothing to do with childhood innocence. I adjusted the strap of my purse, my fingers trembling slightly as they brushed against the leather. I had told myself I was just coming for a drink, a casual meet-up. But when I pulled up in my car, the gravel crunching under the tires, I saw him. He was alone. Sitting in his vintage convertible, the top down despite the cooling air, waiting for me. He