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I can’t risk looking at him, can’t risk falling into the pull I know is waiting in his green eyes.
I’ve ignored him, avoided him, done everything in my power to keep distance between us—to pretend he doesn’t exist in my world. And I intend to keep doing exactly that.
My fingers squeeze instinctively around the bottle in my hand, as if the simple act of holding onto something might ground me, keep me from shattering under the weight of his presence. My lungs burn, reminding me I’ve forgotten to breathe, and when I finally inhale, the air is searing and shaky.
Irina isn’t here. She didn’t come with us on the hike, and I have no idea where she disappeared. I noticed it the moment we left the house, but I didn’t dare ask about her—not when Ethan was standing right there, not when the question alone might have drawn attention I can’t afford.
“I’m fine. I won’t fall,” is all I can say as I move closer to the edge, until I can see the foaming water running into the basin below.
From here, the view is breathtaking. The cascade plunges into a crystal-clear pool, and beyond it stretches a meadow dotted with wildflowers, bright and endless. We must be close to the mountain’s peak; the air feels thinner, fresher, freer.
For a moment, I let myself imagine what the view might look like from the neighboring summit, where last night I saw that strange light pulsing and shifting in rhythm.
The thought drags me straight back to the night before.
And with it, inevitably, to Ethan—the one person I’ve refused to look at even once today.
In the end, everyone gives in to my idea and we all dive into the water.
As expected, it’s absolutely freezing. Summer or not, the instant you slip beneath the surface, it feels like stepping into another world made entirely of ice.
My teeth chatter uncontrollably at first, but after a few minutes the shock fades and I begin to enjoy it—the rush of cold against my skin, the way the mountain air mixes with the spray of the waterfall.
Lured by curiosity, I move closer to where the cascade crashes into the natural pool. The roar fills my ears, the mist clings to my face, and I’m seconds away from slipping under the curtain of water—just like in those movies where you discover a hidden cave or another world behind it—when a hand instantly grips my waist.
Before I can react, I’m yanked back hard until I collide with something solid.
Someone’s chest.
“Careful, woman,” Ethan’s voice rumbles against my ear. “Do you have a fucking death wish?”
His arm is wrapped tightly around my waist, holding me firmly in the middle of the water, in full view of everyone else.
A shiver rushes down my spine—not from the icy water, but from the heat of his breath and the firmness of his grip. For one fleeting moment, I want nothing more than to sink into him, to let myself be weak in his hold.
But reality slices through the haze of desire, more searing than the cold.
I wrench out of his arms and immediately search the others with panicked eyes, terrified someone might have seen.
Sierra is laughing as she swims away from Nick, who clearly plans to drag her under water. A quick scan confirms it—no one is paying us the slightest attention.
And why would they? Why would anyone find it suspicious that Ethan and I exchanged a few words?
Jesus, Thalia. Stop acting like you’re about to be caught committing a crime. You’re not doing anything wrong… not anymore, at least.
“What are you doing?” I hiss through clenched teeth. “Someone could see us.”
The words spill out before I can stop them.
Ethan takes a slow step closer, water rippling around him, a mischievous smile tugging at his lips. His eyes lock onto mine—daring, dangerous.
“See us doing what, exactly?” he murmurs, his tone laced with mockery, as if he already knows I won’t have an answer that doesn’t betray me.
“I think it’s time to get out. I really want to go back and relax for the rest of the day,” Kai shouts, his voice echoing off the rocks around the waterfall.
“Yeah, I want to head back too,” I hear Sierra say, way too close.
Instinct kicks in immediately.
