The first thing Arielle noticed was the silence.
It was so complete that it felt strange after the endless pounding of rain and roaring winds from the night before. No more flapping tarp, no more shaking trees. Just stillness.
She opened her eyes slowly, blinking against the soft light filtering through the damp fabric above. Her body felt stiff from sleeping on uneven ground, and the faint chill in the air clung to her skin.
For a moment, she forgot where she was.
Then the memory came back.
The storm.
The argument.
The kiss.
Her chest tightened immediately, and she turned onto her side, facing away from the other sleeping bag.
Except Kairo wasn’t lying down anymore.
She could hear him moving outside the tarp, his steps deliberate and steady, boots crunching against wet earth. Th
