didn’t even notice when Julia turned the car and music on to drown out our voices for Luna. I turn back around to face them, my heart squeezing painfully when Endymion begins to close the distance between us. I put my hands up between us, halting his progression.
“Just tell me she’s lying.”
He sets his jaw in a hard line. “She came to my house.”
My brows jump into my hairline, and that pit in my stomach threatens to swallow me whole. “And that somehow makes it better?”
“She showed up there, and I told her to leave. That’s all.”
Holly laughs. The sound is like nails on a chalkboard for me. “Keep telling yourself that’s all that happened, End.”
Not wanting to hear any more of this, I grip onto the handle of the car and freeze. With a glance over my shoulder, I forget to mask the pain as I let the words fall from my lips. “I listened to what you said last night and was going to tell you today that I think Luna should try staying the night at your place.”
With that, I get into the car, and I’m thankful Julia is in a much better headspace than I am because she drives off, taking me far away from what will always be Dunsmuir’s golden couple.
It doesn’t matter how much time has passed. It will always be Holly and End.
My ears ring from the deafening sound of the waterfall. I sit perched on the boulder that overlooks the stream. I keep my gaze fixed on the white froth of liquid that bubbles at the force of the falls. The stream of water flows from the moss, and the sight is riveting. The stark green and vibrant blue are such a contrast, and it’s breathtaking.
Dunsmuir is known for its waterfalls. It’s one of the many reasons we get so many tourists here. I used to come here a lot with my dad—whenever he needed to get away from my mom—before it got too crowded. I wanted to go to the creek but everything there reminds me of Endymion. The creek is my place to go to stare at the stars and dream, but here…this is the place I can come to when I don’t want to think or dream. I just want to be left alone with my thoughts. There’s something about the noise here, about not being able to hear your own thoughts, that gives you a peace of mind you never truly knew you needed. There’s tranquility in the cascading roar of water.
My dad showed me this place, Mossbrae Falls, years ago, before the tourists ever found it. The water that runs behind Mr. Jackson’s property connects with the Sacramento River. Sometimes it feels like he has the waterfall all to himself. There are plenty of other falls nearby that tourists can visit, but this one, it feels like ours. Reserved solely for the town folk.
“What are you doing here?”
I startle at the sound of the voice. It takes all my energy not to turn and face him. I can’t even bring myself to look at Endymion. I’m still angry, but underneath all that anger is hurt. So much hurt.
I promised myself years ago that I’d never let another break my heart, let alone the same man who had done it years prior. What is it about Endymion Black that turns me and this town into complete fools?
I shrug my shoulders noncommittally, avoiding his gaze. “I came here a lot with my dad when I was younger.”
I sense him take the spot next to me on the boulder. Feeling his gaze on me, I keep my focus trained on the water. He’s quiet for a beat, processing that. “I did, too.”
That was also why I loved the falls so much because Endymion was always here, too. Even though he didn’t know I existed, I enjoyed being close to him. But that was before the area here changed. Before it became just another tourist attraction.
“I know. I used to see you out here all the time.”
“Why didn’t you ever say anything?”
I shrug off the strain in my heart. “Because I was pathetic.”
He blows out a heavy sigh. “No, you weren’t.”
I don’t reply. I don’t have the energy to.
Luna is at the house with my parents, helping my mom with dinner. I asked her if she could stay with her for a while. I just needed to get out and think after what transpired today.
“We need to talk about earlier.”
My lips