*Hattie*

It's a quarter to midnight, and June's humidity presses against me like a heavy blanket. The night is thick with the hum of insects, the smell of lavender in the air, and a sentiment I can't shake. It feels like the calm before a storm. If only it were a summer rain shower on the horizon, but that's not what I dread. It's a battle.

Eric asked me to meet him at the cottage tonight at midnight, and it will likely be my last chance to change his mind. To beg him ...