The freezing water fell in a relentless torrent.
Sharp.
Unforgiving.
The cold struck them both like a physical blow the moment Caleb stepped under the shower, soaking through their clothes within seconds, turning fabric heavy and clinging as the icy stream poured over their heads and shoulders.
At first, neither of them spoke.
They simply stood there.
Caleb’s arms still around her, holding her upright as the cold fought the inferno raging through their bodies.
Minutes passed.
Long ones.
The kind where every second stretched thin with tension.
Slowly—very slowly—the fire began to recede.
Iva’s trembling lessened first. The violent shivers that had been wracking her body softened into smaller, weaker tremors. Her breathing, which had been uneven and ragged, began to steady beneath
