A half-year of patience, a symbol of his devotion, he said. He said he’d love me forever, that I was the only one. That ring had meant everything. And now, it was nothing. He left it to remind me what love could look like when it was fake.
I whispered to myself, almost laughing bitterly, “Drake, it was you… it was all you.”
The helicopter’s roar cut through the sky and I squinted up, seeing a familiar face poking its head out.
“Aren’t you leaving, Alice?” Alaric called.
I hesitated a moment, then forced a smile through the burning pain in my chest. “Do you have a lighter, Alaric?”
He whistled and tossed a box down. “That’s all I got.”
“Good enough,” I said, gripping the match box tight. My fingers shook so badly, I thought I might drop it.
Step by step, I walked toward the glass house. Every step burned in my legs, every breath in my chest was heavy with memories of what once felt like home. The walls had seen laughter, music, warmth, and now… they’d see fire.