As the sun sank below the horizon, Lily sat on the balcony of Ethan's apartment and gazed at the metropolitan cityscape. She hardly saw the sky painted in warm shades of orange and purple. The maelstrom of emotions that had been building inside her since that night at the warehouse had become far too entangled in her head.
Carlisle had left. He was losing his kingdom. Everyone kept insisting the battle was done.
Lily, however, was wiser.
The injuries were more than merely physical. The scars were deeper than shattered bones or bruises. She had lost faith in herself as well as in other people.
She felt the warmth creep into her skin as she brushed her fingertips over the lip of her coffee mug. It was a minor solace, one of the few she had recently given herself.
The glass door behind her swung open, and before she saw Ethan, she heard his footfall. Although he was still in pain from his wounds, he walked cautiously and his presence was unwavering.
