“It is,” he said, plucking another copy of the same small flyer from his table and scissoring it between his fingers. “Will you come talk to me about it tonight?”
Hilary looked down at the flyer and frowned. “Oh, tonight, I can’t tonight . . .”
“Tomorrow, then,” he said. “Let me buy you a coffee . . . for being so sweet.”
“Really?” Hilary’s eyes went wide with surprise. The invitation was the last thing she had expected, which had been the whole point. Lou gave her a small grin, amused by her disbelief.
“Tomorrow,” he said. “Meet me here at one o’clock?”
“O-okay.” Unsure, Hilary eventually nodded, as if convincing herself that having coffee with a bestselling author was a good idea, a wonderfully perfect idea. “Yes, okay,” she said, more confident now.
“Good.” Lucas leaned back in his seat and studied her pretty face. “Now . . .” He pulled her book toward him from across the table. “Let’s get this signed for you.” Opening her book to the title page, he scribbled an inscription in his sharp, printed hand.
To Harmony. See you soon.
Yours eternally, Lou.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Because this book is the longest I’ve written to date, I’ll keep my thank-yous short and sweet. My endless appreciation goes out to my incredible editor, Ed Schlesinger—without you, this novel would be a wretched, unreadable mess. To my awesome agent, David Hale Smith—where would I be without you . . . other than in a gutter filled with angsty writer’s tears? To my best friend and husband, Will—thanks for agreeing to move to the Pacific Northwest with me so that I can finally fulfill my dream of becoming a day-walking vampire. Who needs SPF when you’ve got rain? And, as always, to my incredible readers—you never cease to amaze me with your constant kindness, enthusiasm, and encouragement. I will continue to write as long as you continue to indulge my weird imagination.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photograph by Ania Ahlborn
ANIA AHLBORN is the bestselling author of the horror thrillers The Bird Eater, The Shuddering, The Neighbors, and Seed, which has been optioned for film. Born in Ciechanów, Poland, she lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband and their dog. Visit www.aniaahlborn.com or follow the author on Facebook and Twitter.
FOR MORE ON THIS AUTHOR: authors.simonandschuster.com/Ania-Ahlborn
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ALSO BY ANIA AHLBORN
The Bird Eater
The Shuddering
The Neighbors
Seed
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Gallery Books
An Imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people,
or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events
or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2015 by Ania Ahlborn
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information, address Gallery Books Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.
First Gallery Books trade paperback edition April 2015
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Interior design by Robert E. Ettlin
Cover design by Anna Dorfman
Cover photograph © Samantha Everton/Taxi/Getty Images
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.
ISBN 978-1-4767-8374-1
ISBN 978-1-4767-8379-6 (ebook)
CONTENTS
Epigraph
The Letter
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
The Book
Acknowledgments
About the Author