Rayla sat by her bedroom window, her knees pulled to her chest and her arms wrapped tightly around herself. The cool autumn air drifted through the slightly open window, carrying the faint scent of fallen leaves and damp earth. Outside, the world was painted in shades of gold and red, but Rayla barely noticed. Her gaze was distant, her mind replaying the events of the past few days over and over again like a broken record.
It had been a few days since she’d returned home, and in that time, she’d barely left her room. She’d told her dad everything—well, almost everything. She’d confessed her feelings for Asher, the confusion, the heartbreak, and even the way she’d run away from it all. But she hadn’t mentioned the tattoo. It was hidden under the collar of her sweater, a secret she wasn’t r
