Rafe POV
Her broken whisper hangs in the air long after it leaves her lips.
“Kayla…” I breathe, reaching across and resting my hand on her thigh.
Her muscles tense beneath my palm, a tiny shiver running through her before she slowly lays her hand over mine. Her thumb traces those slow, shaky circles across my skin—like she’s trying to convince herself she’s still here, she’s still breathing, she’s still safe.
The road narrows ahead.
The trees close in.
And there it is—the faint shimmer of broken glass glinting in the ditch as my headlights sweep across it. Twigs and leaves scattered where her car once lay twisted in the dark. Only a raw gouge in the earth remains where her car was dragged out this morning, but I feel the ghost of that night move through her like a cold wind.
“Are yo
