ARIANNE POV
I spent the rest of the day crying. The kind of crying that leaves your chest heavy, as if the weight of the world had pressed itself against your heart, refusing to leave. I wasn't one for tears. Not usually. But today, it all came crashing down.
I hadn't wanted to make that decision. It wasn't something I ever imagined myself doing, and yet, I had just spent moments ago telling Ivan about what I wanted to do. The hurt in his eyes and the pain in his voice felt like a gut punch, one I knew would leave a mark deeper than either of us could bear.
He didn't come back to the room, or during the next day, or the day after that. He basically avoided me, doing as he said he would, leaving me to my choices. I heard him moving around the house, his footsteps soft, deliberate, always distant. When I'd pass him in the hallway, he'd turn his head slightly, just enough so our eyes wouldn't meet. It was like a part of him had shut off, and I was the one who turned the switch.
