Chapter 4

Julian had said those exact words to me once.

It was the year I turned twenty-five.

James’s surgery had failed. In the middle of the night, I was wandering aimlessly down the cold streets of New York.

Julian threw his jacket over my shoulders and followed me silently for blocks.

Only when I broke down, having nowhere left to go, did he pull me into his arms. His voice was incredibly gentle.

"Elena, I will always be here for you."

Julian was only eighteen that year. His love was fierce, raw, and honest.

Whenever I rejected him, he would just kiss me anyway, forcing his way into my life with an unstoppable passion.