Shake The Frost (Crystal Lake #6) - Juliana Stone Page 0,11

God help her, but she couldn’t.

She slammed her eyes shut, but it did no good. She was back there at Ethan’s place. She could smell the rain, feel the humidity on her skin. An ache so big it felt like it could encompass the Grand Canyon spread across her chest. Time and distance hadn’t lessened any of it. She’d been on the edge of something dark that Sunday night. Alone and in pain, with only one thought as to who could make things right. The only person who could understand what she was going through. The one man who’d always been there for her no matter what…

Ethan.

The moon was low as she made her way down to the dock. It shimmered over the lake, sprinkling diamonds across the surface. Most people would see the scene in front of her as magical, but for Emily, the quiet and beauty only made the hurt bigger. She was lost in the pull of that hurt—a wounded animal who wandered aimlessly in search of relief. And tonight, her wandering had brought her to Ethan.

He sat in a low chair at the end of the dock, staring out at that magical moon. As she approached she noticed he was shirtless, wearing a pair of old jean shorts and nothing else. His hair was longer, touching the tops of his shoulders, and moonbeams slid across taut muscle, wide shoulders and long legs spread out in front of him.

Ethan Caldwell had always been a beautiful man, full of confidence and a quick, easy smile that had lit up most of the women in town at one time or another. But that light had disappeared the night of Rick’s accident, leaving only a cold hardness in its place. Now, with Rick recently gone, Ethan looked lost.

They’d both loved Rick so much, and it made her heart hurt even more to see Ethan like this. She must have made a sound or something, because suddenly, he yanked his head around and his eyes pierced hers through the darkness.

She shivered, though it was humid and warm.

“What are you doing here?” he asked. “It’s late.”

“I couldn’t sleep.”

Ethan swore, though he didn’t take his eyes from her.

“I can’t sleep,” she replied again. “I was thinking about…” She let out a long breath and shuddered. “I was remembering that night we all went to the island and camped out.”

“Em, I don’t want to go back there.”

“But you remember, right?” She took a few more steps until she could see him better.

He didn’t answer at first and ran his hands through the thick waves at his nape. He must have realized she wasn’t leaving, and with a sigh, he slowly nodded.

“The night before grad.”

“Rick had been with Miranda Stokes the night before and…”

“You knew?” he interrupted, his voice rough.

“Yes,” she replied softly. “I knew. I was going to break up with him at the island. Embarrass him in front of his friends. But he always had this way of making me forget all the bad things. He’d look at me like I was his world, and he’d lie and I’d believe him until the next time, and then he’d lie again, and we’d rinse and repeat.”

Ethan cleared his throat and turned away from her, once more looking out over the water. “I didn’t know you knew about…Miranda.”

“I knew.” She studied him for a few moments, watching the play of light across the shadow of him there. He was hunched forward and looked so damn sad that it tugged at her. Ethan had always been there for Emily. Always. And she needed him tonight, but maybe he needed her more.

She walked over and stood in front of him, the night air heavy with pain and sadness, anger and regret. When he glanced up at her, the expression on Ethan’s face made her heart turn over. She tried to smile.

“You always tried to protect me.” She got caught up in her words and took a moment. She bent lower and swept a kiss across his cheek. “Thank you,” she whispered. “For being there for me.”

It started to rain, and she straightened. “Rick was complicated. Our relationship was complicated, and no one understands like you do. I can’t talk to anyone about him…about us, and I just…” She took a moment. “After the accident, you kind of went away. I respected that you needed space, but Ethan, I missed you, and I needed you, and now…now he’s gone, and I feel…”

She couldn’t put into words the emotions