The sky changes to orange, but below is a sea of black glass. I sit up a little taller, taking it in. The snow-covered ground is interrupted by water so smooth it mirrors the sky. The sun gently peeks over the trees and casts its soft golden glow over the stillness, like it’s checking in on the land and water.
I lean forward. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” I whisper in complete awe.
Cole shifts away and stands, holding out his hand. “Come on.”
I take it, following him down the stairs and toward the water. Our boots crunching in the snow is the only sound. We stop close to the rocky shore, where water gently laps over rocks with animal tracks scattered about.
My eyes roam over the pond and the trees, taking in the magnificence and beauty. The utter calmness.
I’ve never known a peace like this, and the feeling overwhelms me.
I blink fast, attempting to push it away.
Cole’s arms fall around me, his chin resting on the top of my head. “It’s amazing, isn’t it?”
I can’t speak, trying to take it all in. I slip away from him and step closer to the edge of the water. I squat to run my fingers through it, needing the cold to shock the pain of never knowing this kind of serenity. All of the fear and confusion and anger. . .
It’s all. . .drowned out by the peacefulness and radiant beauty.
When I can’t take it anymore, I shove my burning fingers in my pocket. “It’s so quiet.” My breath fills the air before me. “It’s like. . .the rest of the world doesn’t even exist.”
I hear his steps, and he stops behind me. “It’s my favorite place to be. Where all the noise is far away.”
I focus on the stillness, letting it soothe everything that has longed for exactly this.
“Does it? Keep all the noise away?” My throat burns. I want to know because I might never leave.
He takes another step closer. “It does a pretty damn good job.”
I huff out a laugh, needing the well of pain to drain from my throat. “I’d need it to work miracles.”
I breathe in the cold, fresh air, wanting to savor it and seal in every scent and the soundlessness. The way the chilly air hits my face and lungs, knowing beyond the water and the trees, the darkness that awaits.
“Some things are just too loud to ever quiet.”
Chapter 36
COLE
I watch her senses absorb every detail, but not in the same way she surveys a crowd. Her eyes are closed, and her face is raised toward the sun, starting to provide a little warmth.
She said some things are too loud to ever quiet, and I believe her. I’ve witnessed it every time I wake her from a nightmare. Each time her smile vanishes, tucked away behind her shield, safe from uncertainty.
“It’s nice to drown out all the noise with this, at least for a little while.” It’s my wish for her. Maybe I can’t mute it, but I want to turn it all down.
“Yeah, it is,” her voice is soft, almost sad. “It’s like nothing bad knows this place exists.”
“Maybe we should stay,” I joke, but I think I could stay here with her forever.
I see a hint of a smile, but it’s forced. “Yeah, maybe.” She exhales as she stands, her head falling toward the ground. “But the world would miss the superstar quarterback who knows how to kick football ass.”
She’s teasing me, but it feels so ridiculously trivial when I’ve watched her lift a naked boy into the back of an SUV.
The coffee sloshes in my stomach.
I asked Ryder to believe in me. I want her to, but I need her to open the door.
I pull in a deep breath and push, hoping I don’t regret it. “I imagine there are kids waiting for you to rescue them.”
