A Necessary End

I
'm thrilled to be working with the Harper/Morrow team once again! Many thanks to my insightful editor, Carrie Feron, her lovely assistant, Nicole Fischer, and the social media–savvy Ashley Marudas. Andy Dodds—on top of having a killer response time, you're also smart and sweet and supportive (three of the best “s”'s.) I'm lucky to have you all in my corner.

I'm so grateful for my agent Elisabeth Weed, who was able to sell this book half written, months before the first was released (which did wonders for my peace of mind). Knowing she believed in me that much, enough to pull everyone else along with her, means more than I can say.

Love and thanks to all my family and friends.

And of course, thank you to Darrend and Daisy. You have to get your own line. Because you're you (well, you're each
you
) and I couldn't love either of you more.

I
'm not sure who said it. I don't know if it was a man or a woman, a small-town sheriff or a big-city cop or a down-and-out drifter or a fortune-teller or a husband or a wife. There's a lot I can't remember, and one thing I do.

“If things keep going like this,” he (or maybe she) said, “someone's going to wind up dead.”

I probably laughed. Thought how cheesy it was. Melodramatic. But it lodged inside of me and resurfaced the day we met Leah, like a prophecy or a warning. It was easy to ignore, though, with all that was buzzing in my head. It became just another member of the hive.

I know now that there was no other way things could have turned out. Tragedies are inevitable, just like the great love stories, like us.

That's what I tell myself.