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Did Blake and I make things too hard on her? She was just a little kid back then.
“You were always trying to ditch me or scare me senseless with your spooky stories. Don’t think I didn’t know you two were trying to get rid of me so you could hang out with girls your age.” She flips another page with hardly a glance. “I saved you from girls who would have eaten you alive. You should thank me.”
The truth hits me hard, jarring the buried memories free, unwinding them anew in my heart.Bea’s been saving me her whole life.
I tried so hard to leave her behind then and even now. Would things be different if I’d realized sooner how much I need her in my life? She’s a rare gem, and I’ll always be a diamond in the rough without her around to polish and fine-tune my edges.
“You deserved better, Bea.” I close my hand over hers and wait for her eyes to meet mine. “Still do.”
I couldn’t mean anything more than I do this one thing. Bea deserves a man she doesn’t have to chase. A man who fawns over her like the precious gem she is.Dammit. I’m that man.If only I were younger and lifelong friendships weren’t at stake.
“Do you mean that?” She holds my gaze, scrutinizing every wrinkle and line on my face.
“Of course, Bea. I’d never lie to you.” My gut wrenches. She can’t possibly question my sincerity.
The comforting crackle of the fireplace simmers at our backs, illuminating the hushed room. Everything falls quiet as falling snow surrounds the cabin, absorbing the everyday sounds that accompany living on the outskirts of Snowflake Falls.
Bea laces her fingers through mine. Her eyes soften, easing the disquieting thoughts circling my brain. She peers down at our fingers and gently reinforces her grip. I hold tight, tethering myself to her.
“Do you remember when we’d camp down by the beach? Blake would dig a pit in the sand for a small campfire. I carried the stash of dryer lint Grandma saved for kindling. And you were always in charge of picking out the perfect pieces of dried oak.”
Bea holds me in her gaze, tripping me up and shaking free my most carefully guarded secret. I nod, afraid if I open my mouth, the truth will spill out like a ruptured faucet.
“Do you remember the game we used to play?” Her voice softens.
“We made up silly stories, trying to one-up each other with the wildest stories.” I try to minimize the nature of the game before we venture into territory we might not recover from. “Blake always won with his crazy confessions.”
“Like he always does. Whatever Blake said ruled, just like now.” Bea’s expression turns serious and fraught with disquietude. “You know how people say the truth is stranger than fiction?”
“Yeah.” I’m not sure where she’s going with this, but I hope she doesn’t have a story up her sleeve so wild it’ll tear my world apart.
“There’s something I’ve kept secret for far too long.” Her gaze drops to my lips, and my mouth goes dry. “Something that beats anything we ever confessed to when we were kids.”
My heart thunders against my rib cage as my entire body tenses, fearing the worst.
CHAPTER 6
