Lucia wandered aimlessly through the forest, her thoughts a tangled mess of emotions she didn’t know how to untangle. The air was crisp, the late morning sun filtered through the canopy of trees, but she barely noticed any of it. She was too consumed by the storm inside her. Her heart felt heavy, weighed down by the betrayal she couldn’t shake. The memories of last night—her moment with Nicholo, their kiss—now felt like a cruel joke.
How could he do this? How could he keep something like this from her?
She wasn’t paying attention to where she was going, so when she bumped into Miranda, it was like a jolt back to reality.
“Lucia?” Miranda’s voice was surprised. She looked her up and down, concern flashing in her eyes. “Are you okay?”
Lucia blinked, trying to pull herself together. She h
