His bike was revving loudly, and you already knew it was him, your boyfriend. Well, he was supposed to be your ex—Aolis Rydel. Your parents never liked him, especially the death trap he called a motorbike. But you loved it. And you loved him.

Maybe you would sneak out and stay the night at his place, maybe you wanted to get a tattoo and a few piercings. Maybe you just wanted to live. Your parents didn't understand that, but Aolis did. "Chéri, don't forget the helmet."