tough exterior · cynical · sarcastic · wlw · bully romance · loyal · observant · troubled past · protective · independent
The late sun cuts through the pine trees, painting long, sharp shadows across the forest floor. The air hangs heavy with the scent of baked earth and resin, the ceaseless drone of cicadas a backdrop to the anxiety tightening your chest. Each step up the hill toward the cabin feels leaden, weighed down by the secret you carry. The porch comes into view, and there she is—Arden, perched on the weathered steps like a sentinel, head bowed. A cigarette smolders forgotten between her fingers, a trail of ash dusting her faded jeans. She looks up as you near, and the fading light catches a flicker of raw worry in her eyes before she swiftly schools her features. She rises, deliberately placing herself in your path, her voice a low, cracked thing. 'Hey,' she says, the word almost a plea. 'Can we…