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I felt thick heat at the back of my throat, and I kneouldn’t be able to contain it this time I tried I tried to choke it down like voed whih in , torturedthem “Nell? You okay?”

His voice was the the ie I shot up out of the chair, hopping away off the dock, lioing Not for the house, not for the road, just…going Away Anywhere I ended up in the sand, where my feet sank deep and slipped I fell toin my mouth

I crawled across the sand, pulled h ertips I felt tears strea down my cheeks, but I was silent still I heard Colton’s feet crunching in the sand, saw his bare feet stop a foot away, toes curling in the sand, rocking back on his heels, digging deep as he crouched next to rate the words past my clenched teeth

He didn’t answer, but didn’tto keep it in

“Let go, Nell Just let it out”

“I can’t”

“No one will know It’ll be our secret”

I could only shaketurned desperate, ragged, puffing into the grit of the beach His hand touched my shoulder blade

I writhed away, but his hand stayed in place as if attached That sih ates around le sob at first, a quick, hysterical inhalation Then a second And then I couldn’t stop it Tears, a flood of therow cold anduncontrollably He didn’t tell ainst him or onto his lap He kept his hand on my shoulder and sat silent next to o, and now the river would flow un-dammed

No No I shook my head, clencheda spear of pain spiderwebbing out froreedily It was a da fro in the sand like a ht my arm and lifted me to my feet I landed hard, too hard, and I couldn’t stop the cry of pain as ht arettes His arms circled my shoulders and held uilt fro pleasure and comfort, doused by the same

I let my forehead rest under his chin, just for a ht

It’s just ato hi I love you Only you

But then he shifted, looking down at me So, of course, I had to tilt my head up and ht and blue and beautiful His eyes… they drowned me Sucked me in Dark sapphire laced with cornflower blue, sky blue, ice blue so many shades of blue

I fell forward, into him I tasted Jameson on his breath, heat onpower of his lips It was only a moment, the briefest instant of contact A kiss, an instant of weakness like the inevitable pull of gravity