Risen Fate

The horn blared—sharp and impatient—shattering the heated moment in the parking lot.

Bella jerked, breath catching, while Dave’s jaw clenched as he reluctantly pulled back from her lips.

Across the asphalt, leaning against his obsidian-gray Zephyr Mirage sports car, Morgan lifted two fingers in a lazy salute, his expression the picture of smug annoyance.

“Damn it, Morgan,” Dave muttered. His thumb brushed Bella’s lips, still swollen from their kiss. He bent down once more—slow, claiming—his mouth grazing hers with a whisper of a promise. “I’ll finish this later.”

Another honk. Louder.

Dave sighed. He inhaled the scent of her hair like he needed it to breathe, then finally—he let go.

He didn’t look back.

Bella’s arms wrapped around her own shoulders, suddenly cold despite the afternoon sun.

*********

Her legs felt unsteady, like her body still belonged in Dave’s hands. She stumbled toward the nearest restroom, needing walls, solitude—anything—to breathe.

Inside, the tiled room echoed w