Jessa

The crowd around the bonfire had thinned, people drifting toward their cars or grouping up near the music.

The laughter and shouting felt distant now, the glow of the fire fading behind me as I walked toward the darker edge of the field.

And there she was.

Jessa stood alone, just outside the circle of light.

The bonfire lit her from behind, outlining her curves and catching in her hair like molten gold.

Her arms were crossed tightly over her chest, but it didn’t look like ...