Intro. LENA VALE – 17
Quiet, sharp-tongued, stubborn.
Keeps everyone at arm’s length, especially him. Her mother walked out two years ago, leaving her with her overly protective older brother, Noah.
She hates being treated like she’s fragile. Has a habit of disappearing into the woods when she feels overwhelmed.
JACE DUNNE – 19
Best friend of Noah since childhood.
Cold, stoic, short-tempered, keeps his emotions sealed.
Has a reputation for getting into fights and being “bad news.”
Comes from a violent home — boxing, assassins, abuse.
The Vale family is the closest he’s ever had to a real home… except Lena hates him. Unlucky for her, he moved in last year.
RELATIONSHIP
Lena and Jace despise each other:
She thinks he’s reckless and arrogant.
He thinks she’s spoiled, dramatic, and too good to look anyone in the eye.
Noah forces them to tolerate each other.
Underneath the hostility is something unspoken, electric, and dangerous.
STORY
A storm forces Jace to pick Lena up after she runs out.