Chapter 1

Taking her Innocence1

LilaI stared out of the car window, watching the city skyline shrink in the rearview mirror, tall buildings giving way to endless stretches of highway and then, eventually, to flat, dusty roads lined with nothing but fields and the occasional cow. My arms were crossed tight over my chest, earbuds in but no music playing. I just wanted the silence, even if it was fake.I didn’t want to be here. I didn’t want to spend my entire summer in some tiny rural town with an uncle I barely knew, cut off from my friends, my life, and everything that actually mattered. I was a city girl—born and raised in apartments with sirens at night and coffee shops on every corner. Not… this.“Lila, honey, come on,” Mom said from the front passenger seat, twisting around to give me that overly bright smile she always used when she knew I was mad. “It’s only two months. You’ll have fun. Fresh air, open space—”I didn’t look at her. Just kept watching the world blur by.Dad gripped the wheel tighter, eyes fixed on the road. He hadn’t said much since we left. Typical. As long as the car was moving and no one was yelling, he was fine.