Chapter 60

Adrian POV

I watched Kelly from a distance as she sat by the shore, her laughter rising above the gentle crash of the waves. It was the kind of laugh I hadn’t heard from her in a long time, genuine, carefree, and full of life. I could my chest tighten, the sight of her so open and unguarded making something dark stir within me. She looked so... happy. I hadn’t seen her laugh like that in months, maybe longer. I wondered who she was with, who had made her laugh like that, and if they were close.

I had to admit, the man beside her had an easy familiarity, like they’d known each other for years. I didn’t like it. A part of me felt irrationally jealous. But why? He was just a guy, just someone she might’ve met during her time here. But something about the way she laughed, something about how she didn’t seem to have a care in the world, unsettled me.

I wasn’t sure why it bothered me so much. Maybe because I never thought of Kelly as someone who had close friends,