New York Times bestselling author Samantha Young makes her contemporary Young Adult debut with a riveting Cinderella story of a girl who’s about to discover that moving in with her wealthy new stepfamily is the beginning of an adventure she’d never dreamed possible. The Impossible Vastness of Us follows a 17-year-old girl from California whose life is uprooted when she moves in with her new stepfamily in an elite Massachusetts suburb; there, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to her new stepsister’s longtime boyfriend, and discovers a secret that will either forge a bond between the three of them, or unravel the façades holding each of their lives together. A heartbreaking story of friendship, identity, and acceptance—and I have an excerpt for you!
Excerpt
Feeling stuck, I waited as Finn and Eloise moved over to me. I felt Finn’s gaze but tried to ignore it. Eloise looked beautiful in a red silk dress. She was standing close to Finn, staring around the room with an almost dazed expression.
“You okay?” I said.
“Champagne,” she muttered in answer, and grabbed a glass off the tray of a passing waiter, drinking it in one huge gulp so, I assumed, our parents wouldn’t catch her.
“Not okay, then?”
“She’s probably just realized that you’re definitely going to be her stepsister.” Bryce’s wry voice reached us before she did. She sidled up to Eloise, slipping her hand around her friend’s waist. “I’m here for you, darling.”
I rolled my eyes at her mocking but Eloise barely seemed to register it.
Joshua strode around to stand beside Finn. “Where’s Gabe and Charlotte?”
“Not here yet,” Finn said.
“I think he said he was going to bring her.”
“Yeah?” I asked, wondering if perhaps Gabe was finally seeing the light.
“Yes, dear Gabe has been awfully sweet to Charlotte while her tramp of a mother seduces my father.” Bryce sneered.
Joshua shook his head in what was definitely near disgust. “I need a drink.”
“A lot of that going around,” Finn murmured.
Our eyes met and we shared a bemused smile before I remembered where we were and looked away.
It could have turned into an enjoyable night.
Patrick Donaghue was there, being all attentive and cute.
But everywhere I went there was Eloise alternating between champagne and the giant glasses of water Charlotte kept force-feeding her.
Mostly, however, there was Finn.
Staring at me with those soulful eyes, making me feel guilty. Making me feel like if I didn’t touch him or comfort him, my legs would give out, and breathing wouldn’t come so easy.
Breathing wasn’t coming so easy.
Finally, I gave up on trying to salvage the night. I made my excuses to Patrick because…
I needed to escape my feelings.
Mostly everyone had gone into the house for Theo’s speech so I found the keys I wanted, dashed out, checked around to see no one was watching and I let myself into the dark pool house. The blinds were drawn so it took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the shadowed room. The only light that spilled in came from the candles around the pool, and peeked in under the blinds that didn’t quite reach the floor. I moved into the room, easing down onto the sofa.
Finally I felt like I could breathe again. Who knew it would be so exhausting pretending you didn’t have feelings for someone?
My head jerked up at the slight squeak of the pool house door opening and closing, Finn’s face illuminated in the light from outside before shadows crept over it once he was inside.
With me.
Alone.
“What are you doing in here?” I was back to that whole having difficulty breathing thing again.
“We need to talk.” His voice seemed to fill the entire room and I winced, afraid someone might hear him.
“Did anyone see you follow me in here?” I whispered, shooting up off the couch to have a peek through the blinds.
“Everyone is still inside. It’s too cold out. Would you please look at me?”
At his harsh tone, I did. I could see from the quick rise and fall of his chest that he was struggling to breathe normally, too.
“What did you want to say?”
His eyes roamed my face, something like desperation flickering across his features. And suddenly that desperation turned to determination. “This,” he said, and in a blink of my eyes he’d closed the distance between us.
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