The soft hum of cicadas filled the warm evening air as Danielle and the others stepped out of the trees onto the worn path leading to Rose’s cottage. The sky was still bright with June light, the golden hour wrapping everything in a gentle glow.
Rose waited on her porch, arms crossed, eyes sharp and searching. The moment Danielle’s footsteps came into view, Rose’s gaze locked onto her with an intensity that made Danielle’s stomach twist.
“You’ve changed,” Rose said quietly, voice steady but filled with something unsaid.
Danielle stopped, swallowing. “I had to.”
Rose’s brows knit together. “I don’t know what you’ve been through, but whatever it is, it’s… different. I can’t put my finger on it.”
Danielle glanced at Seth, Connor, and Christina—tension written on all their faces. “There’s
