Love and Other Things (Crystal Lake 4)

Just then, the kitten stretched and slowly opened its green eyes. For a moment, it felt like the little fur ball could see right into his soul. The kitten angled its head and snuggled closer before resuming purring and kneaded the edge of his shirt with its paws.

“Beck?”

Don’t do it.

Beck leaned against the counter in his kitchen and sighed. “What do you feed a kitten?”

Chapter Two

The stone cottage was perfect.

Sid fingered the file folder on the dove-gray island and was about to take a tour of the place when her cell phone shrilled, breaking the silence with all the subtlety of a rock through glass. Sid knew who it was on account of the ringtone—Garth Brooks and Friends in Low Places was her sister’s anthem. It was barely eight a.m. in San Diego, but the fact her sister was up shouldn’t surprise Sid. With a sigh, she pulled out her phone, because if she didn’t answer, Kylie would call back again and again until she did.

“Hey,” Sid said, walking over to the large double windows that overlooked the backyard, beyond which was Crystal Lake. It was still snow-covered as far as she could see. She blinked at the brilliance of it all as the sun reflected back at her.

“When were you going to tell me you skipped town?” Kylie’s husky voice was sharp in her ear, but Sid didn’t get a chance to respond. “Your phone was turned off, so I had to call your assistant, and she told me you left town. I called to confirm lunch. Did you forget about that? Lunch on the pier with Jordan and the girls? Where the hell are you?”

Damn. She’d totally spaced on lunch. Sid rubbed the bridge of her nose as fingers of pain sliced th

rough her skull. The headache would be epic unless she dealt with it. She headed back to the kitchen.

“I’m in Crystal Lake.” She rummaged through her bag and found some pain meds, which she popped into her mouth and swallowed dry. “And I didn’t skip town. That would imply I’ve done something wrong.”

“Running away from your problems is wrong.”

“Don’t start,” Sid replied, rolling her eyes at the ceiling.

“Where the hell is Crystal Lake anyway?”

“Kylie, do we really have to do this right now? I just got here, and have a million things to do.” That was a lie. The only thing she had planned was to relax and then head to Nate’s for dinner.

“Yes, we have to do this right now. My lunch plans are canceled, remember? So I have all the time in the world to get into it with you. Someone sure as hell needs to.”

“Kylie.”

“Where is Crystal Lake?”

Sid stared out the windows at the perfect scene before her. It was March, but there was still so much of winter left here.

“Michigan.”

“You’re in Michigan? Why?”

“Because I needed to get away, and I needed to be on my own.” She closed her eyes. “It’s been too much. This past year and everything that happened. I’m trying to get through it, but sometimes it feels like I’m slogging my way through quicksand and barely able to keep my head above it. I just…” She slumped against a cream sofa and shrugged, staring at her reflection in the window. “I need to not remember, and it’s hard to not remember when I’m home,” she whispered.

“But, Sid—”

“No, Kylie. Just…no. You mean well, I know that, but you’re suffocating me. I feel like I can’t breathe. Like all of you are watching and waiting for me to fall apart. It’s exhausting.”

Silence greeted her confession.

“Kylie?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know I made you feel that way.” Her sister’s voice was small, and Sid heard the hurt there. It made Sidney feel like crap. She stared out at the brilliant sun on the diamond-encrusted snow until it blurred. Would her life ever be normal again? Would she be able to look through the shadows that clung to the corners of her mind? Would she be able to forget?

“I appreciate you wanting to be there for me. I really do. But I need to face some things on my own. I had to get away, Ky, and no one knows me here. I can breathe without anyone watching. I know you mean the best and that you care about me, but I need to be away from everyone right now. I can’t explain it any other way.”

“Promise me something?” Kylie asked softly.