Inside the car, Bella sat quietly in the backseat, her body leaning gently against the door as she stared out the window. The warmth from the sun had faded, replaced by a dull gray haze that clung to the sky like a thick veil. The mood in the car was silent. Still. No music, no chatter—just the soft sound of the tires rolling over road and the occasional flutter of wind through the cracks of the window.
"Huh…" Bella exhaled softly, her voice barely a whisper. She leaned her chin into her palm, her thoughts heavy, eyes following the blur of trees and fields passing outside.
She wasn't even sure what she was feeling.
Sadness?
Confusion?
She just knew… she felt hollow.
Poor Archer, she thought. Her chest squeezed faintly. His bride ran away like he meant nothing. In front of everyone.
Bella had seen a lot today. But the image of Archer, standing at the altar alone, still and composed while his world cracked quietly beneath his feet that image wouldn't leave her.
