When Liviana Santora takes her sister's place in an arranged marriage with Blaze Castelli, it isn't only her last name that changes, it's everything she's ever known ⏤ her life, her mind, her heart and soul ⏤ her idea of love. But could the same be said about Blaze?
View MoreTime.
It was a funny thing. Confusing and scary, dreadful.
For some, it was much more positive than that. They found hope in time.
"Time heals all wounds."
They looked forward to the next day ⏤ the next week ⏤ month ⏤ year, and so on.
They anticipated getting older and the change that time would bring them. The wisdom and knowledge ⏤ the experiences they would have in that time, the ones you're told to enjoy because they happen in the best years of your life and time flies, so you're supposed to enjoy it while it lasts.
Liviana never knew what the hell those people were talking about.
"Time flies," yet her days dragged on until she gave up and ended them early, crawling into her bed at merely 6pm just to make it feel like the day was over and she had made it.
"Time heals all wounds," but why hadn't it healed hers? She still sat in pain, waiting for it to lessen with each passing day, but it never did. If anything, it only hurt worse.
Time is something Liviana hated. She loathed the whole idea of it. The fear, the hope, the pressure of it. Everything.
It wasn't until she met Blaze Castelli that she understood what everyone talked about, how they warned her to not waste time, as it's something you can never get back.
She wished she had listened.
Now, as she sat in this cold, empty room, bloodied and broken, she wished that she hadn't wasted that year on things that, looking back, seemed so minor compared to what she was going through now.
She wished that instead of arguments, she would have just apologized and held him close, like everytime was the last.
Instead of ignoring his existence, she would have told him how much she appreciated him, and how much he had done for her in their short time together.
She wished that instead of 'I hate you', she could tell him how much she loves him, that there was nothing he could ever do to make her truly hate him.
But she didn't, and now it was too late, because she never knew if she would see him again.
Time was something Liviana hated, but it was also something she took for granted.
And now it seems as though her time is running out.
She freezes at the sound, heart sinking into her stomach as she realizes that, fuck - the time has come sooner rather than later, after all. He caught her.Her eyes flit up to catch a glimpse of Gio's face, his eyes wide as he stares off into the distance in horror, totally wrecked with the severity of the situation.Dear God, what has he done? What has he gotten himself into? What has she dragged him into?!He turns to the woman, eyes narrowing with a silent question and a murmur of, "Well, now what are you gonna do? Huh?" Was she all talk or did she really have a plan?"I- I don't-" Livi sputters at the gravity of his question, the intensity of his gaze that just screamed 'I told you so' in a hundred million ways, and all without speaking a word. Still, each unspoken one hit her like a brick to the head, and it left her just as dazed. Why did she think this was a good idea? Why did she think that she could pull this off? And more importantly, why on earth did she go and get this poo
Blaze didn't know what to do with himself, with the feeling that played in his tightening chest. Heavy, pained, a sense of doom that made his heart threaten to shatter. It was holding on by a thread until it hit him - the gravity of the situation.His sister was gone.Sure, she hadn't exactly been around - had been disowned as far as most people were concerned - after being banished for another of her unapologetically damaging outbursts that had become far too typical, as had this familiar cycle.This wasn't the first time she had been sent away only to return and beg for forgiveness, and of course, she always was. Most times, she didn't even have to ask. Didn't even have to say so much as a coy 'sorry' in order to be welcomed back into her awaiting family - who admittedly had one hell of a soft spot for the baby girl of the family - with open arms and jaded smiles.This time, it wasn't that simple. He didn't make it so easy. He couldn't. He couldn't bring himself to coddle her the w
The two freeze in their places, Gio's eyes going wide as he stands tall, seemingly stuck in place with a timid Liviana peeking over his shoulder, looking like a deer caught in headlights.Fuck, she curses. They've been spotted. She was doomed.Her eyes, wide in horror, dart from the man at the end of the hall, to the one who stands in front of her, using his body to shield her from the former as if he was trying to hide her, as if trying to save them.But it was too late. He saw her - them, together - and on the restricted floor, nonetheless.Now, what was he going to do about it?Well, she supposed there was only one way to find out.She was just going to have to ask him.What she was to do after that? Well... that depended on him, his answer - what he was going to do.Taking a deep breath, she slips herself free from Gio's grasp and steps out from behind him, calling out a soft, "hey!" To the guard who lingers at the end of the long hallway, watching, waiting, staring a hole through
The voice is unlike any of her usual saviors, but Liviana breathes a sigh of relief at the sound of his voice, nonetheless, and despite the tight, almost bruising hold her father keeps on her cotton clad biceps, she relaxes and turns to greet the new man with a smile.He stands at the end of the hallway, looming broadly by what Liviana notes as her only means of escape.How unfortunate... Still, she smiles, jerking herself away from Alonzo and taking a step in the direction of the other man, the one she hardly knew but trusted a near hundred times more than her own father.She decides to take her chances."Gio! Just the guy I was looking for!" Livi practically beams at the sight of the older brunette man, who's eyes narrow and flick over her with a silent question of what the hell had gotten into her?He doesn't ask. Doesn't think it a good idea, and instead, hums, playing along as if it wasn't the first time they had ever spoken more than a passing greeting in the halls. Sure, they w
Liviana didn't have the slightest clue as to what was going on. A reoccurring theme around here, lately. The raven having fallen behind in her usual daily due diligence after succumbing to her exhaustion over the past few weeks, taking rather kindly to a kind of "better to leave well enough alone" mentality as of late, and now, too much was slipping through the cracks because of it, because of her.What was even worse was not knowing what had happened to Blaze because of it. She had no idea what had gotten into her husband, what or who had hurt him, but clearly, they had. And now she needed to help him, wanted to heal him, make him feel alright.But he just wouldn't let her."Blaze, please," Liviana begs, twisting the doorknob in a futile attempt at opening the locked door. If anything, it wasn't anything more than an action to prove her desperate - not that he cared, but she wanted him to know that she was here and she was trying. It might not of been much in the grand scheme of thi
Liviana was left stunned, eyes locked on the empty doorway that her husband disappears through with Amara in tow, who he hauls out by her arm."C'mon. Let's go, Amara," Blaze heaves a deep sigh as he pulls his squirming sister along. "Gotta get you out of here."It's the last Liviana hears from him, barely catching the words when catching his eye just before he disappears through the doorway, hauling Amara out with a sorry look on his face. It was clear he regretted letting her in at all, and Livi could see why. Amara had done nothing but waste their time - time that they didn't have in the first place. Not now, not today. And certainly not for her. She could see the sentiment was shared. They were both sorry, both for very different reasons, sure, but sorry, nonetheless. And it was safe to say they would be speaking about this the second he came back.Yes, Amara hadn't said a useful word - not in Livi's definition of the word - and that didn't leave them with much context, much to
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