Nick’s POV
“Jane! Jane, wait!” I shouted, sprinting after her like my life depended on it. My chest was burning, legs aching, and for some reason, it felt like this girl had tires for legs. Gush, why was she so fast? Was she part cheetah? How could someone run that fast in heels?
I shoved past a low-hanging tree branch, nearly crashing into a flowerpot along the narrow garden path. The damned thing wobbled and tipped, dirt spilling over the edge, but I caught myself just in time. My heart was pounding so loud in my ears it drowned out the chirping birds and the occasional hum of a distant lawnmower. The afternoon air was thick with humidity, the faint scent of cut grass clinging to the breeze.
Jane was already at the gate, her hand on the rusty metal latch, about to swing it open. The g
