There was no turning back. Not for us. Not today. And I don’t want to turn back. I want him. Every time I’m near him I feel greedy. Like I want to grab hold of him and tell the world that he’s mine. That he belongs to me.
I’ve never wanted anything before the way I want this. Never wanted someone as much as I want Ethan. It’s like I’m addicted and I can’t give him up. I don’t want to. I want to take what’s mine.
The wind whips over us, my hair flying in my face, and I reach up to push it out of the way. The guardian angel charm bracelet dangles from my wrist, the sleeve of my sweater falls down my arm to reveal it, and Ethan grabs hold of my wrist, his gaze jerking to mine.
“What’s this?”
“It’s a-a bracelet.” I fixed it last night, determined to do something on my own, to prove I can take care of myself. And I did take care of it. It might’ve been small, but hey, it’s something.
And fixing that bracelet felt good, no matter how small the accomplishment might be. Made me feel like a grown-up when I hardly ever feel that way.
The only other person who makes me feel like an adult is the very man I’m sitting next to, who’s got an odd expression on his face as he studies my bracelet.
“Who gave it to you?” he asks, his voice quiet. So quiet I almost don’t hear him, what with the music playing down below, the clatter of the roller coaster as it roars nearby.
“A boy I used to know,” I admit, sinking my teeth into my lower lip. “He was a—friend.”
Ethan frowns, toying with the charm with his index finger. “A friend?”
My heart starts to race. I don’t know why. His voice sounds strange. The expression on his face is dark. There’s no other word to describe it. He’s reacting to my bracelet in such a weird way and I don’t know why.
“He helped me, saved me.” I wave my hand, the bracelet sliding down my arm. “It’s complicated.”
His gaze meets mine, his fingers still circling my wrist. “It happened a long time ago.” He talks as if he knows who gave it to me and why.
I nod, a shuddery sigh escaping me when his thumb sweeps across the inside of my wrist. “It helps me when I feel lost.”
“A guardian angel.” His voice is flat and he fingers the charm again, pressing the flat backside of it, the metal cool against my skin. “Does it watch over you?”
“Always,” I whisper at the exact moment he releases his hold on the charm . . .
And it detaches from the silver circular bracelet, falling to the ground.
“Oh!” I lean over the bar, causing the cart to sway, and Ethan clamps my shoulder with his hand, trying to pull me back. “It fell off!”
“What did?”
“The charm!” I turn to look at him, trying to swallow past the panic clawing up my throat. “I can’t lose it, Ethan. I just . . . I can’t.”
He glances down and scans the ground below. “Maybe we could find it once we get off this thing.”
“How?” I ask incredulously, my gaze following his. We’d just flown over a cluster of concession stands. For all we know the charm could’ve landed on one of the roofs, and there’s no way we’d find it if that happened. “That charm is so small. It could be anywhere.”
“We’ll find it,” he says firmly, his unwavering gaze meeting mine. His jaw is tight, his eyes incredibly dark and oh so serious. “I promise.”
His words, the sincerity in his voice, the way he’s looking at me, reminds me of another promise made to me years ago. I’m taken aback at the similarities and I stare at Ethan for a long time, searching for a glimpse of Will in his features.
No. I shake my head. I’m being ridiculous. Crazy. Will Monroe is gone. Maybe I’m so drawn to Ethan because of the similarities they share. Who knows how Will turned out, anyway? Circumstances weren’t on his side. For all I know he’s locked up in prison somewhere, following in his father’s footsteps.
My heart breaks just thinking that.
The moment we disembark from the Sky Gliders, Ethan takes off and I follow after him, glancing up at the gloomy sky in irritation when it starts to rain. The weather doesn’t deter Ethan, though. People scatter as the rainfall picks up in intensity, most of them going for shelter, but Ethan keeps walking, pushing himself into a slow jog as he heads toward the spot where we think the charm fell from my bracelet.
I try to hold back the overwhelming disappointment and sadness that threatens, but it’s so hard. I don’t know how we’re going to find it. I’m not sure exactly where it fell. It could be anywhere.
I’m fairly certain it’s lost forever but I don’t want to discourage Ethan from looking for it, either. That he wants to help means more to me than he’ll ever know.