Chapter 1

"No."

With a cold laugh, I pushed hard on the pedals and left Susan Edelman and Benny Reid far behind.

The cold wind hitting my face cleared my head. If it weren't for that warning in my ear just now, I probably would have switched with Susan for the sake of our two years as roommates.

Gripping the handlebars tight, I suddenly remembered the last thing the voice in my earbuds had said.

"Your boyfriend and your roommate have been sleeping together for a while now. She's not only pregnant with his baby, she also wrecked the campus kingpin's bike.

"That's why your boyfriend came up with this dirty trick. Seriously, how low can he go?"

Susan shouted from behind me, her voice anxious, "Jeannine, can you not be so selfish? I really can't pedal anymore! Just switch with me for a bit."

I couldn't be bothered with her.

Earlier, I'd made a point of glancing at her bike. Its brand logo was wrapped in several layers of colorful waterproof tape. No wonder I'd mistaken it for an ordinary secondhand bike.

Now that I took a closer look, I knew that hidden skull reflector on the handlebars and the custom carbon fiber weave under the saddle all too well.

What else could it be but the pride and joy of my wretched brother, Nick Chandler, the campus kingpin?

I snorted. 'Susan, you just picked a fight with a brick wall.'

Forget Sableton City. There was only one bike like this in the entire world.

Susan was a financial-aid student who had to pinch pennies even on the dining hall's discount specials. Where would she get her hands on a secondhand bike that nice?

Looking back, her excuse for switching bikes had been full of holes.

I pedaled faster, wanting nothing more than to shake them off. Sure, the bike was my brother's, but I had no intention of being anyone's scapegoat.

They didn't give up, though.

I'd barely made it thirty feet when a dark shape shot out and forced me to a stop at the edge of the narrow mountain road.

Luckily, I wasn't going fast. I clamped down on the brakes and planted my right foot on the ground. Otherwise, I would have gone over the edge, bike and all.

To my right was a deep, overgrown ravine.

In that single instant, my shirt was soaked through with sweat, and a chill ran down my spine. I'd come within inches of dying.

"Benny, are you out of your mind?!" I yelled.

"Jeannine, your little tantrums are one thing, but how can you be so cold and selfish today?! Don't you know this is a group activity? Don't you have any sense of the bigger picture?"

I never imagined Benny would completely ignore my panic and fear, all for the sake of a bike swap. The man I'd been with for two years suddenly looked like a total stranger.

"I'm cold? She's the one pestering me to switch, and because I won't, I'm selfish?"

That only fired Benny up even more. "Jeannine, how can you have so little regard for the group?

"Susan isn't very strong to begin with. She's already pushing herself as hard as she can so she won't hold everyone back. Can't you show a classmate a little consideration?

"Besides, if you won't switch, the whole team is going to fall behind. Can you take responsibility for dragging down the entire team all by yourself?!"

I was so furious I laughed. "You're blaming me? She's the one who ran out of steam and slowed down. Why is that on me?

"Besides, we were in the middle of the pack. There are plenty of riders behind us, and the captain's back there too. What's the rush?"

Seeing that strong-arming me wasn't working, Benny softened his tone, "Jeannine, I'm not blaming you. But you know Susan's in a special situation right now."

His eyes darted away as he said it.

"Just switch with her so we can hurry and catch up with the group, okay?"

A special situation.

I'd nearly died just now.

I stared hard at the man in front of me.

For two years, he'd been the model boyfriend. Whenever I had my period, he waited outside my dorm every single day for a week just to bring me a cup of hot cocoa. For my birthday, he lived on simple bread for a whole month just to surprise me with a gift.

He'd said I was the only one he would ever love, and that he'd do anything for me.

But today, it was like I was looking at someone else entirely.

Swallowing my rage, I said, "Benny, why don't you switch with her yourself? Besides, everyone on the team has a bike. Why does it have to be me?"

I put my hands on my hips and gave him one last warning, "Listen carefully, because I'm only saying this once. I. Am. Not. Switching!"

The words had barely left my mouth when a sharp crack rang out by my ear.

The slap caught me completely off guard. The left side of my face swelled up instantly.

I stared at Benny in disbelief. He'd actually hit me.

I'd never been treated like this in my entire life. Even the campus kingpin, whose name made everyone go pale, wouldn't dare lay a finger on me.

"Benny, you..."

Just then, the clatter of wheels drew closer as the rest of the team caught up.