The breeze swirls around us, and he brushes a flyaway strand of hair from my face, and then we both lean in—to each other, and everything that’s here, now, between us. We come together for a kiss. And here, on the water, when his lips meet mine, I know what I was feeling in that picture that day, and it was this—the feeling of being perfectly who you are, and exactly where you want to be.
I don’t know if I’ll ever get my memories back, but it doesn’t matter because I’ve stopped chasing them.
I don’t think about the past, or before or after.
Instead, I choose now, and the wide-open future that unfolds in front of us, beyond the horizon and the endless sky.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
With each book I write, I am more grateful to the amazing people who are there for me every step of the way, from the beginning glimmer of an idea to the finished book sitting on the shelf. I am beyond lucky in life to have you all!
First, I’d like to thank my most favorite people in the world—my family. Thank you for understanding the time it takes to write, and for being there to make the absolute most of the time when I’m not writing. This life is big and beautiful and so much fun because of you!
Next, huge thanks to my agent, Leigh Feldman, who is always there with her invaluable wisdom, guidance, and support.
Of course this book would not be the book it is without the insight and dedication of my incredible editor, Alexandra Cooper. Thank you for your faith in me, and for the energy and heart you put into making each and every page better.
Many thanks to the entire talented team at HarperCollins—Rosemary Brosnan, Alyssa Miele, Kathryn Silsand, Mark Rifkin, Kristen Eckhardt, Bess Braswell, Audrey Diestelkamp, and Olivia Russo. Your kindness and support are beyond amazing. Erin Fitzsimmons, who created this gorgeous, evocative cover, I am forever your fangirl.
To my readers, it is your love for books and reading that always encourages me to continue writing—especially on the hard days. The fact that you’re willing to come along with me for a story, or to take the time out of your day and write to me means the world, and I cannot thank you enough for your kind words, support, and enthusiasm. You are the very best!
Of course there would be no story to read if I didn’t have the encouragement of friends who are both brilliant and kind: Sarah Ockler, who has talked me off the proverbial edge too many times to count, and on whose living room floor this story began as a set of index cards. Morgan Matson, who always comes to the rescue with much-needed perspective—and Starbucks—when the going gets hard. And my fabulous bacon crew—Carrie Harris, Elana Johnson, Stasia Kehoe, and Gretchen McNeil—I cherish your wit and wisdom more than you could ever know.
My love and gratitude to you all.
BACK AD
DISCOVER
your next favorite read
MEET
new authors to love
WIN
free books
SHARE
infographics, playlists, quizzes, and more
WATCH
the latest videos
www.epicreads.com
Photo by Sarah Ockler
JESSI KIRBY is a writer for young adults whose first book, Moonglass, was named an ABA New Voices Pick. She has also written three other novels—In Honor, Golden, and Things We Know by Heart. Jessi lives in central California with her husband and two kids. You can visit her online at www.jessikirby.com.
Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at hc.com.
BOOKS BY JESSI KIRBY
Golden
In Honor
Moonglass
Things We Know by Heart
The Secret History of Us
The Other Side of Lost
PRAISE FOR THE SECRET HISTORY OF US:
“Jessi Kirby’s books just keep getting better and better, and The Secret History of Us is her best yet. It beautifully touches on all the most important things in life—love, family, friendship, memory, and bacon. I loved it.”
—Morgan Matson, New York Times bestselling author of The Unexpected Everything
PRAISE FOR Things We Know by Heart:
“Above all else, Things We Know by Heart explores the possibility of finding human connection through tragic loss. Couple that with Kirby’s gift for detail and writing relatable characters and you get not just a love story but one with a ferocious pulse.”
—John Corey Whaley, Printz Award–winning author of Where Things Come Back
“This is hands down Jessi Kirby’s best book to date. It’s stunning and breathtaking, at turns heartbreaking and healing.”
—Sarah Ockler, author of Twenty Boy Summer
“The love story will hook readers—especially those who enjoyed John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars. This memorable romance will ring true with teens.”
—SLJ
“Well-rounded characters and the romantic tension of unrevealed secrets.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Kirby’s story is, at its core, a sweet, budding romance, set against the backdrop of family. A story of letting go and moving forward.”
—Publishers Weekly
—BCCB
“Kirby weaves a sweet romance in the same spirit as Susane Colasanti and Lauren Barnholdt.”
—VOYA
“A sweet romance that grows organically.”
—Unshelved.com
CREDITS
Cover art © 2017 by plainpicture/Stephen Carroll
COPYRIGHT
HarperTeen is an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
THE SECRET HISTORY OF US. Copyright © 2017 by Jessi Kirby. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
www.epicreads.com
* * *
Library of Congress Control Number: 2016963706
ISBN 978-0-06-229946-8 (trade bdg.) — ISBN 978-0-06-267204-9 (int. ed.)
EPub Edition © July 2017 ISBN 9780062299475
* * *
17 18 19 20 21 PC/LSCH 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
FIRST EDITION
ABOUT THE PUBLISHER
Australia
HarperCollins Publishers Australia Pty. Ltd.
Level 13, 201 Elizabeth Street
Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
www.harpercollins.com.au
HarperCollins Canada
2 Bloor Street East - 20th Floor
Toronto, ON M4W 1A8, Canada
www.harpercollins.ca
New Zealand
HarperCollins Publishers New Zealand
Unit D1, 63 Apollo Drive
Rosedale 0632
Auckland, New Zealand
www.harpercollins.co.nz
United Kingdom
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF, UK
www.harpercollins.co.uk
United States
HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
195 Broadway
New York, NY 10007
www.harpercollins.com
div style = " -webkit-filter: grayscale(100%); -moz-filter: grayscale(100%); -o-filter: grayscale(100%); -ms-filter: grayscale(100%); filter: grayscale(100%); " class="sharethis-inline-share-buttons">share</div>