CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The morning sun filters through the trees, casting a golden glow over the clearing as I make my way across the dew-covered grass. My heart is a frantic rhythm in my chest, each beat echoing the turmoil of my thoughts. Last night's encounter with Jackson still lingers like a dream on the edge of waking, shrouded in mystery and moonlight.
"Grace." Lucas's voice slices through the quiet, and I freeze, suddenly aware of his tall silhouette against the lightening sky. He steps closer, and there's a tension in his shoulders that wasn't there last night. "Can we talk?"
I nod, unable to find my voice, and gesture for him to walk with me. We move in silence, our footfalls soft against the earth, until he stops us at the edge of the woods where the shadows of the trees cradle us
