Kai stood frozen under the willow tree long after Evan had disappeared into the woods. His words echoed relentlessly in her mind.
"I've lost my time."
She clenched the red ribbon on her bag so tightly it nearly tore. Was this really it? Was she supposed to just step back and pretend none of it mattered? Her father always said to play every hole, no matter how impossible it seemed.
And this had seemed impossible.
---
Later that evening, Kai was once more on the old course. The sun was going down, casting amber waves across the barren fairways. She waited — hoping, foolishly, that Evan would return.
He did.
Evan appeared from the treeline, surprised to see her still there. "You're stubborn."
Kai turned, tears still drying on her face. "Then you know I'm not leaving."
Evan sighed heavily. "Why do you care? I'm a dead-end."
"No," Kai said, stepping closer. "You're just stuck on the hardest hole."
Evan tried to laugh, but it cracked. "I don't need saving, Summers."
"I'm not here to save you," Kai replied gently. "I'm here to walk with you — even if it's the last course you play."
The sun lit them both in gold. For one fleeting instant, Evan's face relaxed, as though he wanted to believe her.
He looked away, voice trembling. "You'll regret it."
Kai shook her head. "No, I won't."
And with that, the distance between them seemed just a little less.