Chapter 14: The Night That Changed Them
They found refuge in a remote cabin.
One room.
Fireplace.
Darkness pressed against the windows.
Inside, the air was heavy with everything unsaid.
Isla stood near the fire, its glow painting her skin gold.
"Rafe…," she began.
He watched her like a man already undone.
"We don't know how much time we have," she whispered.
He didn't pretend otherwise.
"Then don't let it be empty," she said.
He crossed the space between them.
Slow.
Reverent.
As if approaching something sacred.
His hands came to her waist.
Her palms rested over his heart.
"Tell me to stop," he said.
She shook her head.
So he kissed her.
Not careful this time.
Not restrained.
The kiss carried everything they hadn't allowed themselves to feel.
Fear.
Need.
Relief.
Longing.
They moved together, not in haste, but in certainty.
As if something in her blood recognized something in his soul.
Later, wrapped in silence and warmth, Isla rested her head against his chest.
Rafe brushed his fingers through her hair.
"This changes everything," he murmured.
She smiled faintly.
"It already has."