mirage ( r . c )

ˎˊ˗ 𝙖𝙣 𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙠𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙣𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣

He looks at me like I'm actually worth taking time for. Those blue eyes of his, the ones that always seemed so cold and empty before. They're different now. They're warm, soft, full of something I never thought I'd see in them, love. And what's even crazier is that I feel the same way about him.

"I love you like a second snowfall," he says, voice steady and serious. For a second, I wait for him to laugh it off, like it's just some dumb joke.

I let out a small, confused laugh. "Why not the first?"

He takes a slow breath, but I can tell he already has the answer ready. His eyes say it all before his mouth does.

"Because the first one's unexpected," he explains, his gaze locked on mine. "And I always knew I'd love you."

And in that moment, it feels like everything makes sense. Like I'm finally exactly where I'm supposed to be. Wrapped up in Rafe Cameron's arms, standing out on the balcony of his house, watching the sun sink behind the horizon.

I feel happy. Peaceful, even.

But deep down, there's still something inside me that won't settle. This restless, aching urge that keeps clawing at me, no matter how good things get. I know it's going to tear me apart eventually, and the truth is that it scares the hell out of me.

Because even though I have everything I ever wanted, I still have a never ending urge for something more.

/////////////////////////////////

Not every treasure is gold,
not every love is real.

Caught between a past she's trying to outrun and a future she never chose, Jade finds herself tangled in secrets, buried truths, and a love that was never meant to happen. The deeper she goes, the harder it becomes to tell who's on her side- and whether she still has the power to walk away.

!! Does not follow the original Outer Banks storyline