The days seemed to go by achingly slow for Aria, even more than they usually did during the period she’d anticipated her re-debut, and before she knew it, it was already the weekend, and she’d forgotten she’d made plans with Finn to visit his father’s country house for horse riding—a plan she had been excited about when they first made the arrangements. Aria had always wanted to learn how to ride, and the idea of spending the day in the tranquil countryside not too far from the city had seemed like a perfect escape from the monotony of her days.
But now as the day arrived, it felt like she was a completely different version of the person who’d made those plans. For one she couldn’t even muster up any excitement, a gnawing uncertainty eating up at her.
Days after the incident, Aria expec
