FADED HEARTS

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ꜰᴏᴜʀ

I didn't want to move in with Lucas. It'd be a nightmare. Though, this whole situation was a nightmare but moving in with him would be another that I absolutely didn't want to see, and afterall I had to move in with him after a week ( six days if we are counting).

"I don't want to move in with him." I argued with my mother, who was absolutely done with me bickering with her as if I was a kid who didn't want to eat her medicine. "But dear, you are married to him." Mother said, her voice soft and calm.

The wedding had happened yesterday and yet, here I was, still in my wedding dress that sucked my breath and cling into me like it didn't want to be taken off. I parted ways with Lucas after the conversation that happened in the balcony last night, I didn't want to see his face, absolutely not. Not after we had such a heated exchange of words and moreover, I didn't want to move in with him, in his house, in a place that he owned.

I couldn't sleep last night, his taunts and his voice still echoed in my mind like a mockery and I could still feel his calculating gray eyes staring down at me.

I stormed off to my room last night like a teenager who just had an argument with her parents. Mother had been trying to make me feel better after what had happened. She insisted I move in with Lucas and get to know him but I knew him - a cocky, calculating, bastard. He was nothing more than that, even if he was, I was sure it'd be nothing more than arrogant.

"Darling, please." Mother sat beside me on the bed, patting my shoulder softly. I moved away from her, my jaw tightening. "Don't darling me mom." I said, staring down at the delicate silk embroidery on my wedding dress. "You were the one to push me into this marriage."

"We did what was best for you and the family, you'll see that in time." Her hand stilled mid-pat and she sighed looking at me softly.

I laughed bitterly at the thought of this marriage being the best for me, it was not. It was a cruel joke. A mockery of my life, a ruining of my life.

"Fine, if you don't want me in your house," I stood abruptly, moving towards my wardrobe, the wedding dress swished with every step, a reminder of the chains I now had on me. "Then, I'm going to leave. Live happily ever after."

--

The next two days passed in the blur of finding an apartment and the unlimited calls I got from my parents. I never picked one instead I just left a message on my mother's number saying that I'd move in with Lucas one night before the gala and before that day comes I'm not coming home. I had stayed with Isabelle and she helped me find an apartment. Hopefully, her dad was off to California for a business meeting and I could live there for two days without being questioned. I attended the office but refused to meet dad. I left and arrived at the same time as everyone did and worked just like them.

Well, the apartment I was in wasn't too bad - it was decent, in fact, too decent considering that I had to live here for four days only. It was simple. Functional. And perhaps less better than the mansion I had grown up in but that was probably not the point.

It had lazy cream colored walls that wouldn't upset anyone and wouldn't inspire or flatter them as well. The floors were hardwood, simply old, with a charm of footsteps that might have grown in the house. It had a small kitchen with white cabinets and a perfectly shaped counter and an oven that seemed fine to heat up things.

The living room was cozy and comfortable with a gray couch pushed against the wall, a coffee table that held a single lamp and a TV perched on an old stand. I didn't bring much with me, just a few sets of clothes, my favourite blanket and box of things I couldn't leave behind. The rest of my life was still packed in my old room, safe and secure but it was absolutely a place I wouldn't want to visit, at least for now.

Isabelle had dropped me off an hour ago, with her car filled with boxes and usual charm. She had told me that I'd love it and she was right. I liked the place, it was breathable and liveable, away from the chaos. And she had been a whirlwind of energy and activity, scrubbing the kitchen counter, sweeping the floor and organising my things. She had told me that she'd drop off sometimes and asked to sneak out if I ever wanted.

I said yes. Ofcourse. Now, the apartment was clean. A few of my belongings were tucked into corners neatly and my wedding ring was placed at the side table. I was alone and free, staring at the TV across the room with the TV remote, I had settled on The Princess Diaries, the perfect kind of movie to watch on a day like this. (Edit: not so perfect movie to watch when you have run away from your home after getting married.)

I curled on the couch and sipped my coffee, a warmth spreading throughout my chest. Sure, I had a roof over my head and more than enough money to survive on my own for the next four days but I was paid just like everyone in my father's company. No perks for being the CEO's daughter. Except no one had to go through a forced marriage like me.

I curled further on the couch, sipping the coffee, the hot mug warming down my cold hands. I watched Anne Hathaway transform from a frizzy-hair Mia to regel princess Amelia.

And, then, of course, my phone rang, interrupting me and myself date. I rolled my eyes, knowing it was my mom calling. It didn't matter how much I was ignoring mom, I still loved her and I knew I couldn't ignore her long...so I picked up. Moreover, I missed her like nothing else.

"Hello?" I answered, forcing my voice to sound indifferent, though my chest tightened.

"Liv, sweetheart, are you okay?" Mom's voice came through, soft but laced with worry. I could hear the exhaustion in her tone, and it chipped away at my defenses.

"I'm fine, Mom," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Where are you, Liv? Come home." Her words were tender, but I knew what she really meant.

I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. "I'm okay, really. I'll see you soon, but I just need a little space for now." The truth was, all I wanted was to wrap my arms around her and cry like I used to when things felt too heavy.

There was a pause, and then she spoke again, her tone lighter, teasing. "You know, it's alright. I ran away from home once too."

I let out a small laugh, imagining her mischievous smile. "Of course you did. You've always been a rebel, Mom."

She chuckled softly, the sound warming something inside me. "What are you watching? I can hear the TV in the background."

"Our favorite," I said, a smile tugging at my lips. "The one we always watched together."

Her voice softened further. "I miss you, Liv. So much."

My throat tightened. "I miss you too, Mom."