Page 59 of Frost
“You’re sure you’re ready?” I ask.
“Yes.”
“You’ll lose your memory of being Jack Frost, and everyone who’s ever met you will lose theirs too?”
“Yes. When you wake in the morning, you won’t remember me.”
A tear falls from my eye, quickly followed by a second. “How will you find me again if you can’t remember who I am?”
“I was yours before we ever even met,” Jack whispers, wrapping his arms around me. “I was drawn to the woods beyond the cabin because of you. And I stayed there for nineteen years waiting for you to return. My soul can’t rest unless you’re with me. That much I know. No one can fight their destiny, and I know you’re mine, Luka. I’ll find my way back to you. I swear it.”
The scent of berries and pine tickles my nose, and my heart cracks wide open.
“Will you stay with me a while longer?” I ask, another tear slipping from the corner of my eye as I blink. “At least until I fall asleep?”
“Yes.” Jack lies beside me and brings me to his chest, pressing his lips to my hair. “My beautiful Luka.”
“Yours,” I say, gripping his sweater. Maybe if I hold on tight enough, he won’t be able to leave. That’s selfish, of course. He’s choosing mortality not only for me, but for him as well. I’d be cruel to take that chance from him.
“And I’m yours. Always.”
How long will it take for us to find each other again? A week? Months? Years? I’ve never been the gambling type, especially when the stakes are so high. But if he keeps his immortality, he’ll always be like the moon from my dream—on the outside looking in, never truly being part of the world he loves so much.
For this reason… I stop fighting his decision.
“I love you, Jack Frost,” I whisper.
“I love you too.” Jack softly kisses me, and I whimper against his mouth. He pulls from the kiss and holds my face in his hand. “My little light.”
I close my eyes and snuggle against him, breathing in his scent and mourning the thought of waking up tomorrow without him beside me. There’s no way I can forget him, though. I don’t care what the goddess said to him. Jack is part of me—the other half of my soul.
Even if my mind forgets him, my heart never will.
Chapter Fourteen
My pillow’s damp when I wake up.
I wipe at my cheek and look around the room. Heaviness lingers in my chest, and there’s a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach. Something’s on the edge of my memory, an image of a man with blue eyes, but his facial features blur the harder I try to see him. It’s like trying to recall a dream seconds after waking up, the details distorting before fading altogether.
I get out of bed and then stop when something bumps against my chest. Looking down, I see some kind of leather band dangling around my neck. A blue oval stone hangs from the center of the band, and I grab the jewel, my eyes filling with tears as I hold it in my palm.
Why am I crying?
The necklace is important to me. But why? It makes no sense.
I leave the bedroom and go down into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. As it brews, I look for something to cook for breakfast.
“Why do I have so much junk food?” I mutter, rifling through my pantry filled with an assortment of Little Debbie cakes, Pop-Tarts, sugary cereal, bags of candy, and a ton of chocolate. I like to indulge every now and then, but damn, never this much.
I grab a few boxes with the intent of throwing them away, but before I can dump it all in the trash, my heart jumps up into my throat and my eyes water. What the fuck is wrong with me this morning? I feel like I’m seconds away from breaking down. Every little thing is triggering me. Deciding to wait on cleaning out the junk food, I put the boxes back in the pantry, then shut the door.
The coffee’s done brewing, so I fill a mug before opening the refrigerator to get creamer. Peppermint mocha? I grab the jug and feel that familiar stinging behind my eyes again.
Okay. Maybe I should just go back to bed. Having an emotional breakdown over some stupid creamer is a sign that I’ve probably been overworking myself and need a few hours to relax and recharge.
I can’t shake the feeling that I’m forgetting something really important.
Because of my weird emotional state, I take the morning off and laze around, drinking coffee and watching some TV. Around noon, I go to my office to write. My mom bought me a Jack Frost plush for Valentine’s Day that sits on my desk, and one look at it sends me into hysterics. I hold it to my chest and cry so hard I can’t even catch a breath.
