He stepped closer, closing the distance, letting her know he was the one in control. “Then stop looking. I’m not something you can write your way out of.”
Lightning flashed, catching his face in stark relief—beautiful, dangerous, unknowable. For a suspended breath, Harmony imagined leaning forward, closing the gap, and discovering whether the danger was imagined or real. She didn’t move. Not yet. Anticipation was half the pleasure.
Instead, she whispered. “Maybe I don’t want to.”
Zach’s smile was slow—a warning wrapped in invitation. “Be careful, Harmony. The island doesn’t like people who play both sides.”
“Neither do I,” she said.
Rain hammered harder, matching something unspoken between them. Harmony exhaled. Maybe the island didn’t like games—but she was starting to think she’d met someone who played them better than she did. She tipped her face up and let the rain wash her sins away. The island smelled different in the storm—colder, cleaner, more alive.
She turned to leave. She took three steps before he called after her.
“Running away?”
“Nope. I don’t run. Just taking a breath,” she said. “Some of us need oxygen.”
He moved closer, rain streaking down his cheeks. “You always come looking for trouble once it’s dark enough for you to hide.”
“Maybe, it’s just that I recognize the trouble and point it out.”
They stood close enough to feel each other’s breath, far enough to pretend they weren’t feeling the same things. The air between them sparked.
Zach reached out, his thumb brushing a drop of rain from her cheek. “You should go home, Harmony.”
“I’m not afraid of storms.”
“You should be. They wash things clean.” His eyes didn’t leave hers. “Sometimes that’s not a mercy.”
Her pulse beat hard against her throat. “You talk like you’ve done things that need to be cleaned.”
He hesitated, gaze dark. “Haven’t you?”
The question lingered between them, intimate and dangerous.
Lightning fractured the sky above the harbor, silvering the world for an instant. When the light faded, he was inches from her. His breath was warm despite the chill.
“You keep writing about monsters,” he murmured. “Maybe you’re trying to understand your own reflection.”
She didn’t flinch. “Maybe I’m trying to understand yours.”
For a long moment, neither moved. His hand slid to her jaw, gentle but possessive. She thought he might kiss her. She wasn’t sure whether she wanted him to—or wanted to see if he’d dare.
Instead, he whispered. “Be careful what you look for here. Catalina always gives you what you ask for—just never how you think it should come.”
Then he turned and walked away into the rain until the dark swallowed him whole. Harmony stood there, heart pounding, tasting salt and thunder on her tongue. Somewhere deep inside the island, something stirred—approval, or warning. She wasn’t sure which thrilled her more.
A patrol car rolled slowly past at the end of the block. Harmony caught a glimpse of Ciscel behind the wheel, features blurred by rain-slick glass. For a split second, it looked like he was staring directly at her. Then the car slid out of sight.
She eventually moved on, her footsteps echoing on wet pavement. Under a small awning, she pulled out her notebook and scribbled before the words could slip away. Maybe the idea of someone watching her as closely as she watched everyone elsesent a small thrill down her spine. Secrets never stayed hidden for long.
Later that night, Harmony saw Zach’s truck parked near the Marlin Club after closing, no lights on inside. Through fogged windows, she could make out shapes and hear raised voices. Tosh’s slur. A woman’s sharp bite.
“Don’t touch me again!”
“Do you think anyone believes you?”The second voice was low and dangerous.
“You’d burn this place down if someone paid attention to you long enough.”
