CHAPTER SEVEN
I sprint through the torrid expanse, my heart racing in sync with my pounding feet. The desert heat shimmers around me, but it's Jake's silhouette against the towering plateau that scorches my focus. His broad shoulders slump, betraying a vulnerability I've never seen in him before. I slow as I approach, not wanting to startle him.
"Jake," I call out softly, my voice seemingly absorbed by the vastness around us.
He turns, and for a moment, our eyes lock—a silent exchange of unspoken words. He doesn't question why I followed. Maybe he already knows.
"Hey," is all he says, his voice a low rumble.
The air between us thickens, heavy with things unsaid. Dust stirs at our feet as we settle into the coolness of the shade. I want to ask about his past, about the secrets that hau
