Even If the Sky Falls (21 page)
Read Even If the Sky Falls Online
Authors: Mia Garcia
A shadow falls in front of me, long and lean. Followed by a hand on my shoulder. “Well, you're a tough one. How about Sunshine?”
A hand below my chin, pulling my face up. A smile. Electric. The sun is not in its full glory, but it's bright
enough that the blue in his hair blasts through the fog in my mind.
Curse you, brain, for being so slow, so unbelieving.
That line connecting those dots at a snail's pace. Not understanding, not trusting, not even when he's right here, kneeling down, hand on my cheek. I blink. I tear up. He wipes them awayâhis touchâit's real. My brain is finally coming to.
You can stop now, Julie, you found him.
He wraps himself around me, and I wrap myself around him, his breath on my neck, his hands along my back. We are both battered. We are both damaged. And still, we stand.
“Julie,” I say. “My name is Julia Marie Eagan Hostos . . . or just Julie.”
“Much better than Lila.” He pulls away far enough to take a good look at me. “You think I can finally get your number?”
I kiss him, pulling him down for our lips to reach. Our mouths part. He kisses me like he would take me in, to consume, to remember, to hold on to forever. I let him.
The bracelet stays with me, a reminder and a promise. I run my fingers across the face of its gold plate, feeling for his birth date on one side and then the newly discovered second etching across the other side: his name.
In front of me the whole time.
I trace the calligraphy with my thumb, feel the name out on my tongue.
Jeremiah Mills.
It fits him, it fits us.
We stay in each other's arms.
This is the beginning. We both know, no matter what we are or what we will be, this is just the start. The spark.
I kiss him again. I smile against his lips, knowing no one else will kiss him like I have. Around us the music picks up, even if it's only in my own head.
I kiss him, and it tastes like sunshine.
O
NE HUNDRED THANK-YOUS
to Maria Barbo, my fantastic editor, for inviting me to be part of this journey and for being there every step of the way. You are a truly fantastic champion and motivator. You've made this quite a lovely experience.
To my family and friends, for all the support through the years, for asking questions and constantly wondering when this book would come outâthank you for the mild anxiety, and here it is! Please don't ask when the next one is comingâI'm working on it.
To the rest of my kick-ass Harper team that already rules the school: My publicist, Rosanne “Ro” Romanello, fate keeps bringing us together, girl, it is meant to be!
Future killer senior editors Kelsey Horton and Rebecca Schwarz, thank you for falling in love with Miles as well. Alexei Esikoff, my production editor, Jean McGinley in subrights, and Alana Whitman and Carmen Alvarez in the marketing team for all that you do for this book. A big hug to Katie Fitch and Amy Ryan in the art department for the gorgeous cover.
And thank you to you, the reader, for investing in this story. It's a cliché to say I wouldn't be here without you, but it is true.
Pinky swear.
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MIA GARCÃA
was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She moved to New York, where she studied creative writing at the New School, worked in publishing, and now lives under a pile of to-be-read books. She's a giant geek with comic book and archery addictions.
Even If the Sky Falls
is her debut novel. You can find her at
www.mgarciabooks.com
.
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.
Cover art © 2016 by Leo Nickolls
Katherine Tegen Books is an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
EVEN IF THE SKY FALLS
. Copyright © 2016 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2016930032
ISBN 978-0-06-241180-8
EPub Edition © April 2016 ISBN 9780062411822
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