Chapter 8 Just as I was spiraling, the call finally connected. Mom's voice came through, calm as ever. "What's wrong, sweetheart? Why all the calls?" "The roads near the suburbs are dangerous," I blurted. "Tell Dad to stay under twenty-five. Please." It was random, but they always caved for me. They complained about crawling along while cars behind them honked nonstop, but they did it. Ten minutes later, Dad slammed the brakes. Mom shouted, "What is wrong with these kids?! Shoving someone into traffic-do they have a death wish? Good thing we were driving slow. We almost hit her! Honey, call the cops-I'm checking on that lady!" Because of my warning, nothing happened this time. My knees buckled and I dropped on the spot. Noah darted over. "What's wrong? You hurt?" I blinked hard, swallowing the burn in my eyes. "Just tired. Can't walk anymore." One second later and my dad would've been a killer. Noah and I would've been enemies. "Don't cry. I'll carry you.' 11 "But my clothes are dirty." He hated dirt. "If it's you, I don't care." He crouched, let me climb on, then carried me slow behind our classmates. Tourist season meant wall-to-wall people, nothing but heads all around. Everyone else looked annoyed. But on Noah's back, I felt completely at peace. Then my SAT scores dropped-I'd crushed it, Ivy League range. My parents went nuts, throwing a party for both me and Noah. Mom bragged to anyone who'd listen. "People say don't let kids date early, but the right person pushes you higher! My daughter's proof-she snagged a fiancé with a full ride to Harven, and now she's killing it too!" When school started, my parents drove us. First stop: Harven University-tons of photos. Then my campus-more photos. Worried dorm life would be rough, they went overboard and bought three places: one near my school, one near Harven, and one halfway between, so we'd be set. 1/2 Chapter 8 +30 Bonus Noah kicked off a business his freshman year-I backed him as his investor. Looks, charm, brains-he had it all, way beyond his background. Plenty tried to get close, guys and girls both. But he kept strict boundaries. No gossip, no scandals. I never had to stress. He was always busy, and I refused to let him burn out like in the last life. I made sure he rested. When he wasn't working or studying, he was with me. Too lazy to go out? He'd cook, game, or binge shows with me. Everyone who knew us said, "Andrea's so lucky-her boyfriend's smart, capable, and cooks for her too!" Noah always corrected them, dead serious. "No, I'm the lucky one. Meeting Andrea's the best thing that ever happened to me." By graduation, Henry's family company tanked. In my past life, the Rummells leeched off us and thrived while we sank. This time, without us to feed on, one bad project sent them spiraling. Bankruptcy hit fast. Creditors swarmed their house, and they wouldn't even answer the door. Noah and I didn't care-we were planning our wedding. On the big day, he bawled. Our guests laughed and snapped pics, loving every second. Wiping his face, he kept choking up before finally getting the words out. "Andrea, maybe I've said this a thousand times, but I'll say it again. Meeting you was the greatest luck of my life. And... I really, really love you."