The sting of betrayal still burned, but it wasn’t the sharp ache I’d felt days ago. No, now it was a cold, steady rage that ran through me like fire in my veins. I wasn’t the girl who had begged Lukas for scraps of affection anymore. I wasn’t the girl who would cry alone in the shadows, waiting for his call. I was done.
As Lukas and Celeste disappeared into the crowd, I turned and walked in the opposite direction. No one stopped me. No one tried to pull me back into the cage they thought I belonged in. I had earned my independence. They could all see it now.
I didn't need Lukas or Celeste to define me. I didn’t need anyone to tell me who I was.
I made my way to the garden. The sky was heavy with the storm’s remnants, and the soft sound of raindrops falling from the trees soothed my nerves. The thorns from earlier still ached where they had torn into my skin, but there was no time to nurse wounds. I had plans to make, decisions to change the course of my life. The only question was where to start.