Penny raised an eyebrow. “Handled it how?”
Arden shrugged. But her mind was replaying the way Gideon had stepped forward. The way he’d crushed the stem beneath his boot like a declaration.
Penny exhaled, letting the tension roll off her shoulders. “Are you okay?”
Arden hesitated.
And that was all Penny needed.
She stepped closer, pressing a hand to Arden’s arm. “No one gets to do this to you,” she said, fierce now. “No one.”
Arden nodded, jaw tight. But her fingers twitched. Penny saw it.
“You gonna sleep?”
“I—”
“Don’t lie to me, Arden.”
She tried to smile. Failed. “I’m gonna journal.”
Penny gave her a look. “Good. Get it out.”
Arden exhaled as Penny backed off, giving her space.
She was safe here. At least for tonight.
The notebook waited,open and blank.
She twirled the pen, silence pressing in.
She could still smell the crushed rose petals—see the way the wind had scattered them like ashes.
Finally, her thoughts bled onto the page.
Sometimes, ghosts don’t stay buried.
Sometimes, the past doesn’t rot—it sharpens its teeth.
And sometimes, you think you’re free,
only to realize the chains were just waiting to tighten.
She paused. Swallowed hard.
This wasn’t the same as before.
But that didn’t mean it wasn’t just as dangerous.
Her grip on the pen tightened.
She wasn’t running.
Not this time.
She wasn’t that girl anymore.
With a shaky breath, she flipped the journal shut.
