The Public Reveal

Ivy

The final dinner of the retreat was nothing short of a fantasy. Twinkle lights sparkled above long tables, flickering with a warmth that belied the rising tension just beneath the surface. Pine trees swayed gently, their leaves brushed in gold and crimson as the last breath of autumn whispered through the forest.

Lake showed up late.

He’d spent the whole afternoon debating whether to even come. But something about the idea of not being there for the ending—the final ...