Chapter 127

KIMBERLY’S POV It was cold outside where Xavier and I were standing atop the hill, gazing down at the city. The Ravenwood family had chosen this spot—the hilltop, where there was a full view of the fireworks. It was the night before my birthday and the "Lucky Day" of the Ravenwood Company, their annual celebration which they marked with a bang. I glanced around at the members of Ravenwood who had come. Xavier's grandparents, elegant and aristocratic-appearing, stood together supporting each other, their faces aglow. His aunt and uncle were laughing along with his sister and cousin. I was being wrapped for the first time around with the sense of belonging to a family. "Are you cold?" Xavier's tone jolted me from a fantasy. I smiled, looking at him. "A little." He stepped behind me and pushed me back against him. "Better?" "Yeah," I said, leaning into the warmth of his body. When the clock struck 12, the first of the firecrackers exploded in mid-air, striping the heavens with gold and re