Clara stepped off the creaking ferry, her boots sinking into the damp sand as the tide whispered against the shore. The lighthouse stood behind her, its white tower weathered by years of salt and wind, its beam sweeping the horizon…
The first time Clara saw Daniel since the breakup, the café was thick with the scent of burnt coffee and unresolved tension. He stood near the counter, his leather jacket creaking as he leaned against the register, watching her with…
## The Weight of Lilacs The desert wind tasted like sand and regret. Elias traced the lines on his calloused hand, watching dust devils dance across the cracked earth of Redemption Gulch. It was a town clinging to existence, its…
Elisa’s shoulders bunched, a tight knot beneath worn leather. Dust motes danced in the single shaft of light slicing through the high, barred window. Years had scraped against her, leaving a residue of mistrust. “Release it.” Forian’s fingers, calloused and…