Taryn
The wind rustled through the trees like whispers, hushed and heavy with secrets. Moonlight spilled through the canopy in silver streaks, illuminating the forest floor with a soft, dappled glow.
I—Juliet—stood at the edge of the clearing, wrapped in a dark cloak, breath fogging in the cool night air. My heart raced in my chest. Not with fear. But with anticipation.
He was already there.
Everett.
He stepped from the shadows like a dream, tall and strong, with eyes that shimmered like polished obsidian. His hair was tousled from the wind, his chest rising and falling beneath his linen shirt as if he’d been running to me.
I couldn’t wait. I crossed the clearing in quick strides, and he caught me against him with a soft groan.
“You came,” I whispered, breathless.
“I always will,”
