Tracing the Stars

For Emilia Harper and Leonardo Kennedy, life has always been defined by science, data, and facts. As astronomers, things are pretty cut and dry. Their lives are disciplined. Equated. Controlled. A collection of accomplishments. As childhood pen pals, they thrived on competition, and as adults, it seems nothing has changed. Except everything has changed. When Emilia lands a position in Antarctica alongside Leo, she's excited about the opportunity and only a little bit anxious to meet Leo—who was her sounding board for all things science until they grew apart and stopped communicating. During their surreptitious first meeting the night before they depart, Emilia discovers that Leo, the brainy teenager, somehow morphed into an egotistical, workaholic prick. When the incessant bickering begins to give way to solicitous flirting, they discover that maybe mixed in with the discipline is... Chaos. Disorder. A mess of feelings. Feelings that can't be computed or explained. The only problem is, interdepartmental relationships are forbidden at the South Pole station. As the winter gets colder and the sun disappears, they make a conscious effort to stay away from each other. Which is a hard thing to do when you're stuck inside of a glorified igloo with only forty-three other people. Following the rules—something they're both inherently prone to doing—is so much easier said than done.