Expiration Date ↠ Jared Cameron

The scent of damp earth and pine needles hung heavy in the crisp Forks air, a familiar comfort to Paisley. She sat in the passenger seat of Jared's beat-up truck, the rhythmic rumble of the engine a soothing counterpoint to the distant roar of the ocean. Sunlight, weak but persistent, dappled through the dense canopy of ancient trees, casting shifting patterns on the dashboard.

Jared's hand, warm and calloused, rested lightly on her knee, his thumb tracing absent patterns. She leaned her head against the cool glass of the window, watching the blur of green and brown pass by. A faint tremor ran through her, a familiar companion these days. It wasn't the chill of the morning, but something deeper, a quiet hum beneath her skin that had begun to overshadow everything else. The world, once so vibrant, felt subtly muted, as if seen through a pane of slightly frosted glass. Still, she smiled, turning her gaze to Jared. His profile was etched against the backdrop of the forest – strong, steady, her anchor.