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

“No?” he asks, wide-eyed. “Terrible, right?”


I know I’m standing there with my mouth hanging open. “You look stunning,” I finally say, walking to him. I put my hand on his face and he doesn’t recoil from the touch.


He leans his face into my palm and stares into my eyes. “Sometimes,” he says, “when you look at me like that, I feel like you see something in me I thought only God could.”


I kiss him on the lips, and for the first time since we’ve met again, he kisses me back. But he quickly pulls away, obviously a little frazzled about it.


“Alistair,” I say gently, taking his hand. “A kiss is safe with me. Always.”


He understands. His face brightens. “Do we leave soon? I can’t wait to see your parents again. And our old street. Your house and—”


“We can leave right now if you want to. But listen to me. If any time during this trip, if you start feeling anxious or if you remember something, or maybe want to leave because—”


Chapter 60