Cassian’s POV
I stood there on the curb, my chest tight, my lungs refusing to work properly, watching Aria’s back as she walked away. She didn’t even look back. Not once. Her bag was clutched so tight against her chest, like it was the only thing keeping her from falling apart. Her hair… what was left of it… brushed unevenly against her head, burnt ends jagged, sticking to her damp skin.
My throat felt raw, and I hadn’t even said half of what I wanted to say. I’d begged, I’d pleaded, I’d offered everything I had, and still, she chose to leave. She chose to go back to the Blackwoods. To them. To that hell.
And it was my fault.
I let my arms drop to my sides, my hands curling so tight my nails bit into my palms. I wanted to chase her, grab her, shake sense into her, tell her she couldn’t
