Fourteen years ago, on the banks of Craving’s Creek, Ryde swore to his best friend Alistair he’d never be alone in the world. Though Alistair was destined for the priesthood, there was something beyond holy about the first kiss they shared. But a fun camping trip went horribly wrong when Alistair was involved in a horrific incident. Now, at age thirty-one, Ryde’s life is a mess of alcohol and the painful imprint of his last look into Alistair’s desperate eyes. Since the evil they encountered on that shore, his first love has been lost to him ... until he learns a friend’s wedding is to be officiated by a priest named Father Alistair Genet. Amid the rush of emotions, one thought crystallizes: Ryde’s love for Alistair has never died. It’s stronger than ever. But can it win over the repressed memories slowly tearing Alistair’s mind apart?

Craving's Creek

“Nah, there’s no monster here.” I tickle her and she laughs a little. I set her down at the table and walk over to Alistair’s small tent. “Wake up, sleepyhead,” I say.


“He’s not in there,” my mother says, stirring milk into the eggs. She looks over her shoulder, at my dad. “Maybe you should go looking for him again.”


“Maybe he went to the washrooms at the other end of the grounds.”


“Your father already checked.” Mom dumps some eggs and a slice of white bread on a plate and brings it to Dad. “Go look for him,” she tells him again. “I’m starting to worry.”


I grab my sneakers by our tent. “This is messed up. Why didn’t you wake me? I mean, how long has he been—”


“Ryde, I’ve only been up for half an hour.” Mom throws her hands up. “He’s seventeen years old. I figured he needed some privacy.”


“Maybe he went back to the creek.” I lace my shoes up and stand. “I’m gonna go check.”


Chapter 27