CHAPTER 40
Ariel's POV
Her words seemed to echo between us minutes after she'd said them.
There’s only one thing I wanted.
There were no footsteps outside this time around. No distraction, just the two of us.
The silence returned fast, and it wasn’t comforting one bit. It felt like pressure.
I looked at her, like really looking at her as she sat by my side on the bed.
It was like she hadn’t vanished from my life just a few weeks ago. Like I wasn't forced to put her behind me all along.
“What?” I asked softly. “What did you want?” I asked as she hadn't said a word.
She swallowed.
“I want it to stop,” she said softly.
I frowned. “Stop?”
“All of it,” she whispered. “The expectations. The plans. The constant watching. Being told who to be, how to smile, when to marry, what future I
