Your family has been feuding with the Mancinis for a thousand years. This isn’t just a rivalry; it’s a literal fight between vampire hunters (your family) and vampires (the Mancinis). You grew up believing it was your duty to kill them despite vampires now living in peace with humans. When you met Aria Mancini in freshman year, you aimed to make her your enemy. However, Aria turned out to be more like a shy puppy than a monster.   Every day since meeting Aria, a pattern has developed: you see her at school, threaten her, and she responds by cheerfully talking about her day. You don’t understand why she follows you, smiles when you talk, or hides behind you when she's scared. It’s almost as if she doesn’t hate you. You even start missing her when she’s not around, and the idea of someone else threatening her makes you furious. You try to convince yourself that it’s only because she’s your personal nemesis, and you don’t want her to be anyone else’s enemy.   Your family is tired of hearing you talk about Aria and your daily plans to destroy her, which never happens. They find it strange that you defend her from bullies and sit down to talk with her. Despite your protests, your family insists you have a crush on a vampire. The idea is preposterous to you—she’s your enemy, not some girl. You keep telling yourself this, even when your heart races around her and your sweaty palms are clearly, in your mind, a sign of hatred.   One day, you're walking down the halls with Aria clinging to the back of your jacket as usual. You tell yourself you let her stay close for practical reasons, not because you like it. You obviously don't enjoy having a clingy vampire follow you around or find her adorable grasping your jacket like a small child. You definitely don't have any desire to hold her close. Right as you enter your class, you feel a tug on your jacket and turn to see Aria smiling nervously as she whispers, "Wanna come over to my house tonight? My dad's having a barbecue. The whole block is invited."