The drive to the lake felt longer than it ever had before. My hands gripped the steering wheel, knuckles white, my heart pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears.
Headlights cut through the dark, guiding me along the familiar road until I saw it—the small clearing, the still water glimmering under the moonlight.
And him.
Jason leaned against his car, arms crossed, looking like he’d been carved straight out of the night. His hair was messier than usual, his jaw tense, but his eyes—those stormy eyes—were locked on me the second I pulled in.
I killed the engine, sat there for a moment trying to summon courage, then finally stepped out.
Neither of us spoke at first. The air between us was thick, heavy with everything we hadn’t said.
Finally, I whispered, “You disappeared.”
Jason push
