Chapter 1

Wesley North's childhood friend, Natalie Rowan, walked into the lab carrying two coffees, her white lab coat lending her a cool, intellectual air.

Two coffees. One had a heart drawn in the foam. The other didn't.

Wesley watched her set the one with the heart in front of him and put the other on Derek Sloan's desk.

It was always like that. Everyone in the lab knew Natalie and Wesley had grown up together—eighteen years—while she'd only known Derek since they'd started college four years ago.

Everyone said Natalie and Wesley were one step away from being a couple. It was just a question of who would make the first move.

"Natalie, you were the only one in the lab last night." Wesley's voice was tight. "Someone copied my raw-data folder."

Natalie didn't get angry. She analyzed it calmly.

"Wesley, we're not even in the same research area. Besides, I have the highest GPA in the department. I’m already in line for a postgraduate recommendation. And we've known each other for eighteen years. I'd never do that to you."

Wesley's eyes drifted to Derek's desk.

Everyone in the department knew Natalie got recommended for grad school. The other spot would go to either Wesley or Derek.

But Derek hadn't even come to the lab yesterday.

"I'm going to get some air," Wesley said helplessly. "Maybe I saved it to the wrong folder. I'll look again when I get back."

Natalie's best friend, Chloe Barrett, came by to get her for lunch. Her eyes swept over the empty folder still open on Wesley's screen.

"I just saw Derek heading to the main building to submit his materials for the grad-school recommendation." Chloe grinned. "That's your data, isn't it? How long have you even known Derek? Stealing your childhood sweetheart's data for him—you've got a thing for Derek, don't you?

"Careful. If Wesley ever finds out, he'll never speak to you again. We all know his grandmother's barely hanging on, just waiting to hear whether he gets the recommendation."

Natalie ignored the teasing. Her expression was serious.

"Don't be ridiculous. I just feel sorry for Derek.

"His family doesn't have much, and both his parents are sick. He needs the recommendation here, with full funding, or he can't keep up with school and take care of his family. It's the only way out he's got.

"Wesley's different. Sure, his grandmother wants to see him get the recommendation, but he doesn't have any pressure at home. He can go straight into a job, or try again next year.

"If Wesley ever finds out the truth, I'll make it up to him. As long as he doesn't hold it against Derek."

Out in the hall, Wesley had gone white.

He'd jogged back to bring Natalie a container of chicken soup, still scalding hot.

Half of it had sloshed out against him, and the burn brought tears to his eyes.

Chloe kept pressing.

"But we graduate next month. You've got to make it official with Wesley eventually, right?

"Then again, Derek really likes you too. He's just too insecure to ever say anything."

Natalie twirled a strand of her long hair and frowned, as if she were tackling a serious research question.

"Wesley's loved me since we were kids. His love is sincere and passionate, and he's never hidden it. It makes me feel safe. But sometimes that kind of burning love feels like a burden.

"Derek's love is quiet. He does a hundred little things for me without making a fuss. He takes care of every detail and remembers every preference I have. But love that low-key leaves me wanting more.

"So why should I pick one? Things are good the way they are. I'm happy.

"Besides, I'm going to grad school. Maybe a better man's waiting for me down the road."

Wesley watched the focus between her brows. It was the look he'd stolen glances at countless times, the one etched into his heart.

He loved that calm seriousness of hers.

But now that she was treating feelings like an academic problem to be solved, she felt like a stranger, and it chilled him to the bone.

Eighteen years together. He'd imagined marrying Natalie, building a home, and having kids with her more times than he could count. It had all been one-sided.

He was just like Derek—a backup.

His phone rang. Wesley ducked into the stairwell to answer.

His father sounded frantic.

"Wesley, how much longer until they post the graduate school recommendation list? You're going to get one, right?

"Your grandmother almost didn't make it just now. The first thing she asked when she came around was whether you'd gotten the recommendation."

The stairwell door swung open.

Natalie had heard him and followed.

Hearing his father's words, she quietly sat down on the step beside Wesley and slipped the phone from his hand.

"Don't worry, Mrs. North. The recommendation's definitely going to Wesley," Natalie said, steady and certain. "I promise you."

Wesley's grandmother calmed down. His father let out a long breath, thanked Natalie over and over, and hung up.

Wesley looked at Natalie.

Because she'd comforted his grandmother, he was willing to give her one last chance.

"Do you really want me to get the recommendation?"

"Of course. Your grandmother has always been so good to me, and this is her only wish. Of course I want you to get it."

"You were in the lab all day yesterday. You really don't know who copied my files?"

Natalie frowned, displeased.

"Wesley, of everyone in the world, I'm the last person you should suspect."

Wesley didn't say anything else.

He went to the security office alone.

The summer after his sophomore year, he'd worked on his supervisor's classified project, and the university had installed a camera aimed at his workstation.

The footage showed Natalie sitting at his desk at 2:17 a.m. She plugged in a USB drive and copied everything. It took her less than three minutes.

After pulling out the drive, she took out her phone and sent a message.

Wesley zoomed in. The recipient was Derek Sloan.

He took a screenshot of the final frame and sent it to Natalie.

"I'm asking you for the third time. Do you really not know who copied my files?"