The clock glowed 12:04 AM when I finally slipped out of bed. My feet barely made a sound against the polished wooden floor of the cabin as I crept past the other bedrooms. My body buzzed like I was wired on something stronger than caffeine. But I hadn’t had anything—just Jaxon’s note.
“Can’t stop thinking about you. I’ll be in the pool after midnight.”
I hadn’t replied. I wasn’t even sure I was going. But here I was.
The cabin’s heated indoor pool shimmered like a hidden oasis at night—quiet, sultry, enclosed in glass that looked out into the forest. The only light came from underwater, casting soft ripples of blue across the walls.
And there he was.
Jaxon.
He was already in the water, his arms spread along the edge, head tipped back like a smug Greek god in repose. The water barely
