NOAH'S POV

I glanced around the woods like I’d just landed on Mars. The trees looked ancient, the branches whispering secrets I didn’t want to know. Honestly, the whole place felt like it crawled out of one of those weird forest fairy tales—where you either find true love or get eaten alive by talking squirrels. Probably both.

Penny was already striding ahead of me like a woman on a mission, backpack bouncing against her back with every determined step. Her energy was so upbeat, it ...