Page 49 of Hidden Echoes

I felt my feet sink into the sand as we walked, my anger slowly dissipating with each step, lighter than the last. I wasn’t used to this—the space, the freedom of feeling the wind on my face and the cold water on my feet. It was strange, but in a good way.

Zane looked at me, his eyes filled with a sweetness I didn’t fully understand. "I wonder how you survived this long without it," he said, gesturing toward the ocean.

"Without the sea?"

"Without... that. Freedom. Being able to go out and see the world."

I laughed softly, but not with happiness. "You make it sound so simple. Like you just open a door and that's it."

"It's not simple, I know," he said softly. "But you're here now."

I looked at him, and for a moment, I felt a pang of something I didn’t recognize—something that Carter said and made me uncomfortable, but also intrigued. "Why do you do this?" I asked. "Why are you trying to help me?"

He shrugged, looking out at the water. "I don't know. Maybe because I’m afraid you’ll kill me."

I stared at his serious expression with confusion.

The thought had crossed my mind for a few minutes, but I wouldn'tactually do it. I thought we were over that.

My confused expression intensified when he burst out laughing as if he were seeing the funniest thing in the world.

"You’re different, Mia. Strange, but different."

I laughed, unable to help it. "I hope that's a compliment."

"Yes," he admitted, smiling. "But I'm kind of weird too, aren't I?"

I looked at him, a small smile forming on my lips. "You're different, like me."

“Maybe a little,” he agreed, laughing. “But that’s how I like to live. With intensity. With risk. Doing things that no one expects.”

I was quiet for a moment, watching the waves as they came and went. "I don't know what to expect from you, Zane."

He stepped closer, taking my hand again. "So don’t. Just live in the moment with me. We’ll see what happens."

I looked down at our clasped hands, and for the first time in a long time, I felt a spark of curiosity. Maybe he was right. Maybe it was time to live a little—outside the basement, outside the chaos, outside everything I knew.

The salty breeze blew gently, and the sound of the ocean seemed like distant music. I took a deep breath, smelling the sea air, and for a moment, I left everything behind. The basement, the fighting, the blood—all of it faded away as I stood there, with Zane beside me, in the middle of the night, facing the vast ocean.

"Okay," I whispered, squeezing his hand. "Let’s see what happens."

“Great, because I brought more tequila.”

“Hand it over,” I smiled.

“I have to be honest, I was waiting for you to freak out.”

“Whywould Ifreak out?”

“Because of everything you’ve been through, Mia. It’s a lot to process.”

“I freaked out once,” I said quietly. “When I got engaged.”

“Were you engaged?”

“Yeah, I was fourteen, living with my... father, and he assigned one of the men to marry me. I hated it. He was about thirty-seven. I... freaked out.”

“Define freak out.”

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