Zari returned quietly after slipping out to inform Ophelia they were heading to school.
"Did you tell her, Zari?" Hina asked. She sat on the edge of the bed, fingers nervously fidgeting with the straps of her bag.
"Yeah," Zari murmured, lowering herself beside her. Hina studied her face—so many questions rising in her mind, but she swallowed them. She promised herself she would ask later.
"What time is it?" Zari asked, glancing at her watch.
"5:43… almost dawn," Hina replied. "Lucas should be around by now."
"Then let's go," Zari said, standing as Hina pushed herself to her feet as well.
The girls carried almost nothing with them—just two sets of clothes each. Everything else would come later. They'd survive on Zari's savings until they found a way to build a new life.
---
A soft knock echoed at the door.
"Hina," Zari whispered.
Hina walked over and tapped lightly on Lucas's door. It opened moments later, the man appearing with sleep still clinging to his eyes.
"Oh—good morning, girls. Up early for school? How was your night?" he asked as he moved toward the gate.
"It was… splendid, Lucas," Hina said with a small, strained smile.
Lucas nodded and unlocked the gate with effortless familiarity.
A few kilometers away, the morning air hung heavy and pale as the car hummed along the quiet road.
"What did you tell Ophelia? Did she suspect anything?" Hina asked, her voice tight, though she tried to sound calm.
"I just told her we were going to school," Zari replied, keeping her gaze fixed ahead. "It was early, so she didn't think twice. Sometimes we leave at this hour anyway… so she didn't question it."
Hina released a shaky breath, tension and relief mixing in her chest.
"Hopefully they don't come looking for us?" she whispered.
Zari shook her head slowly. "I doubt it. They never really cared about you… so if we leave, it won't matter to them."
Hina nodded, though a shadow passed across her eyes. "Yeah… hopefully."
Zari shrugged with a faint smile. "I've always wanted to leave. But you always refused, Hina. Now—I thank God this happened. Maybe now your eyes are clear."
"Let's get a cab from here," Hina muttered. "I'm tired of walking."
And almost as if summoned by her words, headlights cut through the dim dawn. A cab slowed, and the girls waved it down.
---
It was full dawn by the time the cab dropped them at Grace Lace. The girls stepped out, their breaths forming soft clouds in the cool morning air. They walked toward Henry's kiosk, but the shutters were still down. It wasn't yet eight. So they sat on the pavement, waiting.
"I still can't believe they're really trying to marry me off. For what?" Hina burst out, frustration sharp in her voice.
Zari scoffed softly. "Honestly, it doesn't shock me. I don't know why it shocks you. That day they called, asking if you were 'grown enough'—that was a red flag. I told you, but you wouldn't listen. They don't care about you, Hina. So why wouldn't they try to marry you off?"
Hina rolled her eyes, anger simmering beneath.
"I don't need them to care about me. I never asked for that. But marrying me off? That's insane. They have no right. I hate my dad even more for this. As if paying for sins I didn't commit isn't enough—now this." She clenched her fists. "Honestly, I should have listened to you when you said I should put Threnax in his tea. This is the height of it."
While they were deep in conversation, the familiar roar of a bike engine cut through the chatter. Henry's bike came to an abrupt halt, and instinctively, their heads turned toward him. He lifted his helmet, hair tousled by the wind, and climbed down. Both girls instinctively stood, their feet crunching softly on the gravel as they walked toward him. Henry blinked in surprise, his eyes widening at the sight of them.
"Zari, Hina," he called, his voice carrying a mix of disbelief and warmth.
"What are you girls doing here?" he asked, adjusting his bike, carefully guiding it toward the parking spot as if it were as delicate as a living thing.
"And Zari… you did prom last year, so why are you in your high school uniform?" His surprise softened into curiosity as he extended a hand toward her.
"We have something to tell you," Zari said, her voice steady despite the fluttering in her chest.
"Sure," he replied, motioning toward the shop. He opened the door with a casual ease, and they stepped in. Henry sank into a chair behind the counter while the girls slid onto the edge of the table beside him, the air thick with anticipation.
"Hina's father wants to marry her off," Zari began, her words tumbling out quickly. "I'm not sure about the exact day, but we had to run away." She glanced at Hina, who nodded solemnly.
Henry's eyes widened. "Wow…" he whispered, shock coloring his tone.
"And it's to a young man… crippled, from what they said," Zari continued, the words tasting bitter on her tongue.
"Crippled?" Henry's disbelief was palpable. "Why would they do such a thing? Hina isn't even nineteen!"
"Henry, those people have lost their minds," Hina said, her voice trembling slightly but resolute. "I was shocked… didn't expect this from them. But it's what it is. We had to run away, so we came to your side."
"Can we stay with you for now, Henry?" Zari asked, hope threading her voice.
"Of course," Henry replied without hesitation, a gentle smile spreading across his face. "You're my girls. You're always welcome here." He reached out and pulled Hina into a warm embrace. "You girls are safe here. Have you eaten? And Hina… will you go to school today?"
"No… we're not going," Hina replied, brushing past him toward their backpacks. "We're changing out of these uniforms."
"Don't forget mine, thank you, love," Zari added, sliding onto Henry's lap and wrapping her arms around his neck, a playful gleam in her eyes.
They grabbed their backpacks and headed toward the kiosk changing room, the air charged with the thrill of freedom.
"Zari, won't you accompany me to change?" Hina called out.
Zari, already perched atop Henry's legs, gave a mischievous grin, straddling him with practiced ease. Hina rolled her eyes and stepped into the changing room herself, muttering under her breath.
Moments later, she emerged, brushing her hair back, a quiet confidence in her stride. "So… what are you girls going to do now?" Henry asked, his eyes flitting between them.
"You," Zari said sharply, a teasing edge in her tone. Hina groaned dramatically, rolling her eyes. "I'm right here, bitch. Enough already."