CHAPTER 14
Timeline: 17 Days Until 18
“I’m going with you.”
Zane didn’t phrase it as a question. He stepped off the porch beside me, falling into step without breaking stride, his long legs matching my pace easily. The morning air was crisp, sharp with pine and the faint tang of woodsmoke, and the path down to the creek was quiet—too quiet. Normally this time of year the woods hummed with life, but today it felt like everything was holding its breath.
“It’s just the creek.” I kept walking, hands tucked into the pockets of my jacket. “I’ve been going there alone since I was twelve.”
“You haven’t gone alone since last week.” His voice was steady, no heat, no argument—just fact. “And you haven’t gone since we found those tracks. Things changed. You know that.”
I did know it. But knowin
