Harley
I am standing outside. I don't even know how I ended up in the garden—a garden full of unpleasant and bittersweet memories. Yet, somehow, I find it calming. A shaky breath escapes my lips. I shouldn't have come here. Returning was a mistake. I should have known my father was planning something behind my back again... like he always does.
"Harley, are you okay? Why did you run off like that?" My mother's voice reaches me as she approaches.
"A marriage? My father plans to wed me away after he—after he paired Clad with my younger sister? Is he serious?" My voice is barely a whisper, overtaken by emotion. I can't breathe. My body trembles, and I don't know if it's from the cold or if I'm finally losing it.
"Harley!" my mother scolds in a hushed tone. That's right—my true feelings for Clad are a secret, a secret that nearly consumed me.
