Elena hesitated before walking toward the diner, her boots crunching on the gravel. Miles was still standing there, his figure tall against the backdrop of the fading sky. The last time they'd seen each other was during her farewell—her escape from Black Hollow, and from him. It felt like a lifetime ago.
"You look different," he said, his voice tinged with surprise.
She forced a smile, brushing her hair back from her face. "You look the same. Still playing cop?"
Miles chuckled, but there was something sad in it. "You always hated that."
"Maybe I just hated you leaving." His words hit her like a sudden gust of wind. She stiffened.
The door to the diner opened, a rush of warmth spilling out. It smelled like fried food and coffee, but under the comfort of that familiar scent was the thick, suffocating air of the town that made her want to run. It had always been this way—this heavy sense of... waiting.
"I'm guessing you're not here for a vacation," Miles said, pulling the door open for her.
Elena stepped inside, her heart beating faster than it should. "No. Not really."
As she took a seat at the counter, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching her. Something in the town had changed—and she was afraid she was about to find out what.