---
Chapter 34 — Shadows in the Pines
It had been a week since the serum. Dee's strength had returned—at least on the outside. Her cheeks were no longer pale, her steps no longer shaky. But her eyes… still held that guarded distance, like someone watching the world through frosted glass.
Rayyan sat across from her at the hotel breakfast table, his coffee untouched. He watched her stir sugar into her tea, movements slow and deliberate.
"You…" His voice was casual, though his chest was tight. "You feel anything strange? Any changes?"
Dee didn't even glance at him. "No."
Just that. No warmth. No curiosity. No hint of the girl who used to tease him for overthinking everything.
Rayyan forced a smile. "Good. Means the serum's settling in." He wanted to tell her he missed her—missed them—but when her eyes briefly met his, they were cold enough to make the words dissolve in his throat.
Still… he refused to give up.
---
Two days later, he drove her out into the hills. The road was narrow, curling through tall pines that swayed in the crisp wind. The air smelled of rain and earth.
Dee sat in the passenger seat, arms crossed, gaze fixed on the passing trees. She pretended she wasn't curious about where they were going.
When they finally pulled into a clearing, Rayyan unloaded a tent from the back. Dee stepped aside, scrolling through her phone as though she couldn't care less.
The wind was sharp, the tent canvas stubborn, and the poles refused to lock.
Rayyan muttered under his breath, wrestling with the fabric. "I swear this thing hates me."
A sound escaped her—half chuckle, half snort. She instantly covered her mouth, but it was too late.
Rayyan froze, looking at her with exaggerated shock. "Was that… a laugh?"
"No," she said quickly, but the curve at the corner of her lips betrayed her.
"You laughed at me," he accused, tone mock-serious. "I'm here, fighting for your comfort, and you're mocking my pain."
Her laugh came again, fuller this time, and it hit him like sunlight through a storm. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed that sound until it was right there, warming the air between them.
---
Later, as the campfire crackled, Rayyan handed her a plate—bread toasted over the flames, cheese, and a little container of olives.
She eyed it. "You really brought all this?"
"I told you, I'm always prepared," he said, settling beside her.
She hesitated before asking, "So… what was I like before?"
Rayyan paused, meeting her gaze. The firelight made her eyes glow gold. "You were stubborn. Brave. The type to walk into trouble because you refused to be afraid of it. You laughed too loud, argued too much, and had this annoying habit of eating the last bite of whatever I was having."
A ghost of a smile touched her lips. "Sounds like I was a nightmare."
"Yeah," he said softly, "but you were my nightmare."
For a moment, the silence between them felt… full.
--
When the night deepened, Rayyan poked the fire and said, "Come outside the tent. Lie down. Watch the stars."
"I don't want to," she said flatly.
"Too bad." He stole her blanket and tugged her toward the clearing.
"Rayyan—" she started to protest, but he grinned. "You used to love this. Come on."
They lay side by side on the cool grass. Above them, the Milky Way stretched like spilled diamonds across black velvet. The air was cold, the ground solid beneath her, but her heart… felt oddly restless.
She stole a glance at him. In the starlight, his features softened—the sharpness of his jaw, the tension in his brow—all eased in sleep.
Her fingers brushed his, and suddenly images flashed in her mind—his arms carrying her through rain, his laughter warm in her ear, his hand cradling her face as though it was the most precious thing in the world.
And then—his thoughts, unguarded.
I wish you'd come back to me.
I'd wait a lifetime if I had to.
Her chest tightened. Why does this feel… right? He's a stranger. I don't remember him. So why does my heart ache like it's been here before?
She watched him until dawn.
---
Rayyan woke first, finding her still lying beside him. "You didn't sleep?"
She shook her head. "Couldn't."
They had breakfast—eggs cooked over the fire, coffee strong enough to bite, and warm bread. She caught herself smiling once or twice, though she quickly hid it.
After packing up, Rayyan announced, "Hike. You'll like it."
The trail was narrow, winding through ferns and sun-dappled ground. Birds darted above them, their wings catching the light.
After twenty minutes, Dee slowed dramatically. "I can't walk anymore."
Rayyan chuckled. "You said the exact same thing the first time we did this."
She frowned. "I did?"
"Oh, yeah. All excited at the start, swore you could 'walk forever.' Twenty minutes later, I had to give you a piggyback ride."
"You didn't have to," she muttered.
"I wanted to," he said simply, crouching down. "Come on. Let's repeat history."
She climbed on, and the moment his hands secured her legs, she felt it—that strange, disarming safety.
---
They stopped under a huge tree where the air was cool. Rayyan sliced apples, handed her one, then offered grapes.
She had just bitten into an apple when a small lizard darted past.
"Ahhh!" she shrieked, leaping up.
Rayyan startled. "What—what happened?"
"It's a lizardddd!" she hissed, pointing as though she'd seen a monster.
He stared, then burst into laughter. "You're scared of lizards?"
"It's disgusting!" she glared at it like it had personally offended her.
"This is gold. Daphne Catherine—fearless in illegal racing, queen of Thursday and Saturday night tracks—taken down by a lizard."
Her head snapped toward him. "Illegal racing?"
He grinned. "You own one of the biggest underground racing bureaus in the country. You hold the biggest events twice a week. You're… the queen."
She stared at him, speechless. Something inside her stirred—pride, shock, and a strange thrill.
---
They headed back to the hotel, the car filled with easy chatter, teasing about his tent-building skills and her "lizard phobia."
That evening, Rayyan looked far too pleased with himself. "Horror movie?"
"No thanks."
"Come on. You used to be terrified. It was adorable."
"I'm not scared of ghosts anymore."
Thirty minutes later, they were on the couch, the movie flickering shadows across the walls.
A jump scare made him glance sideways. "Not even flinching?"
"Nope."
"You're no fun," he teased. "Before, you'd be glued to my arm by now."
She smirked. "Guess I've grown up."
---
Key point .
By the end of the trip, the distance hadn't vanished—but it had thinned. And somewhere, deep inside, Dee wondered if this man with the stubborn heart… might not be a stranger at all.
---