The rose had doneits job.
A red bloom to stir the embers.
A reminder that she wasn’t alone.
That she never had been.
Let her pretend she was free.
But she wasn’t.
Not yet.
But soon?
Soon.
She would see.
She’d burn for him.
CHAPTER 27
Electric Resolve
The storm had passed, but its ghost lingered: sky heavy with clouds, streets slick with memory. The world hadn’t just gone quiet; it held its breath, thick and suspended, like both she and the air were waiting for a shift.
Arden pushed through the doors of the Krav Maga studio. The pulse of movement and the dull thuds of fists on pads greeted her like an old rhythm.
Familiar. Grounding. Necessary.
Here, there were no roses. No whispers in the dark. No shadows that followed her home.
Only sweat, breath, and strength.
“Morning, Arden!” Kasha’s voice rang out from the front desk, chipper as always.
Arden offered a faint smirk and dropped her bag near the cubbies. The tang of disinfectant clung to the air. She wrapped her hands methodically, the repetition settling her frayed nerves. Each pull of the tape tightened her focus.
“Partner up!”
The instructor’s voice cut across the room, scattering the low murmur of chatter. Bodies shifted. Pairs formed.
“You’re with Matt,” Damon called, nodding toward a wiry guy bouncing on the balls of his feet with too much energy, not enough technique.
Matt grinned as he approached. “Go easy on me, okay? I’m new.”
Arden tilted her head, unimpressed. “Keep your hands up and I won’t have to.”
They squared off. Within seconds, it was obvious—Matt swung wide, stepped too soon, telegraphed every move.
She didn’t exploit it at first. But then the instructor called across the room again.
“Don’t hold back, Arden.”
She didn’t.
A pivot. A strike. A swift blow to the ribs that sent Matt stumbling back, breath catching.
