Chapter 26 Fire Beneath The Shadow

• Rachel POV
• It was hard, almost unbearable, to let go of each other. Every second I spent away from him weighed on my chest like a stone, a dull ache that wouldn’t fade. The looks we exchanged were silent but screamed louder than any words ever could—a secret language of desire, guilt, and something I couldn’t name.
• Jeremy stood there beside me, his face softly lit by the car’s yellow headlight glow, hesitating before taking that final step into the vehicle. The night around us seemed to hold its breath, the cold air biting my skin as I tried to etch every line of his face into my memory.