Jason bumped into him from behind. "Why'd you stop—" Then he saw it. "Oh. Oh, wow."
Hazel walked past them, her boots sinking slightly into the soft grass. She stopped a few feet ahead and turned back to face them. The sunlight caught her from behind, framing her in warm gold.
"Beautiful, right?" she said, looking directly at Jason.
Jason nodded, his eyes wide as he took in the meadow. "It's really pretty. Like… fairy tale pretty. The kind of place where magical creatures live."
Hazel's lips curved slightly. "No magical creatures. Just us."
"That's even better." Jason grinned, already walking toward her. "You discovered this all by yourself?"
"When I was younger," she said. "I used to run away here whenever my family got too overwhelming." She shrugged lightly. "It's been my secret spot for years."
