Sunsets In Black

PROLOGUE

The air was thick with the scent of summer rain, the ground still damp from the storm that had rolled through earlier in the evening. Gracelyn stood beneath the large oak tree at the edge of town, her arms wrapped around herself as if trying to hold in all the words she couldn't say. The streetlights flickered in the distance, their pale glow casting long shadows that danced between the branches.

She stared at Ethan, heart racing, her voice barely a whisper. "I thought you'd understand... I thought you'd be there."

Ethan ran a hand through his damp hair, frustration and something deeper flashing across his face. "How could I have known? You shut me out, Gracelyn. You always shut me out."

His words stung, cutting deeper than she expected. She hadn't meant for things to unravel like this. This moment wasn't supposed to be their last. But the weight of the secret she had been carrying for weeks now threatened to crush her, and the gap between them felt wider than ever.

"I didn't have a choice," she replied, voice trembling. "I didn't want to hurt you."

Ethan shook his head, stepping back, his eyes narrowing. "Hurt me? You think this is about that? It's about trust, Gracelyn. And you... you lied to me."

The accusation hung heavy between them, sharper than any blade. She wanted to scream, to tell him that it wasn't like that—that there was more to the story. But the words stuck in her throat. If she told him everything, it would change everything.

His jaw tightened, and for the first time, she saw something in his eyes she hadn't seen before. Disappointment. "You should have told me. But now... I don't even know who you are anymore."

Gracelyn's breath caught in her chest as she watched him turn and walk away, his silhouette fading into the darkness. Her heart shattered into a thousand pieces, each step he took ripping another part of her apart.

"I'm sorry," she whispered into the night, but he was already gone.

The rain started again, soft at first, then heavier, but Gracelyn didn't move. She stood there, drenched and alone, wondering if this was the moment that would haunt her forever. The moment she lost Ethan.

AUTHORS NOTE: Hey guys, this is my very first book and i literally have no idea what i'm doing😂 but i'm open to ideas and suggestions. so  what do you guys think?