Josie
The garden was quiet—too quiet. The kind of silence that hummed against the bones and made the air feel heavy, like the world was holding its breath. I walked past the hedges until I reached the bed of lilies near the fountain. Their white petals trembled in the wind, mocking me with their calm perfection.
My eyes burned. I pressed my palms against them, but it didn't stop the tears. I thought I'd gotten used to Thorne's temper—his sharp words, his cold silences—but this time it felt different. Crueler. More final.
I had believed he wanted me to grow. To be more than what the world said I was. I'd believed that when he looked at me, he saw something worth fighting for. But today proved me wrong.
A sob slipped past my lips before I could stop it. My chest ached as I sank to my knees, fingers curling into the soft soil. "Why does he have to be like this?" I whispered, my voice shaking. "Why does he have to make everything hurt?"
