Page 5 of Ashes

You’re going to be okay, Sienna, you always find a way to be.

I stayed silent until my minute was over. Then I wiped the streaks off my face, took a deep breath, grabbed my bag and keys, and made my way inside.

It was almost 10:00 p.m., so I knew my sisters and mother were already in bed since tomorrow was thebigday, but I prayed my father had done the same and hadn’t stayed up waiting for me instead.

I let out a sigh of relief when there were no signs of him.

Thank God.

I made a quick detour to the kitchen to grab a bowl of whatever my mom had made tonight. I quietly opened the cupboard above the stove and grabbed a large bowl. I scooped a few ladles of rice and added thehabichuelas guisadason top.

I skipped on heating it up to avoid waking anyone and retreated to my room. I was almost at my door when my name was called out.

Guess I spoke too soon.

“Sienna,” my father called me from his office.

I peeked my head inside.

“Yes?” I asked grudgingly.

He gave me a small smile and gestured for me to come in.

I had a long day and wasn’t up for any niceties, but I didn’t want to seem disrespectful, so I pushed the wooden door farther open and walked in, my duffle bag in one hand, food in the other.

“Tomorrow’s the big day,” he stated as if I wasn’t aware of my own wedding.

“I am aware of that fact, papá,” I responded coldly.

His smile faltered and it drove a phantom fist to squeeze my middle.

Great.

He was the one who’d messed up, but I was the one who felt guilty for reminding him of it.

I wasn’t a dreamer. Truthfully, I never had the chance to be, so I never imagined a fairy-tale wedding or being swept away by Prince Charming.

It always felt like true love wasn’t in the cards for me, but despite that belief, I thought that if I decided to settle down, it would at least be with someone I respected and loved.

Someone I at leastknew.

But tomorrow, I was marrying a stranger to ensure my family’s safety because my dear father gambled it away.

“You know I’m s?—”

“Don’t,” I said firmly, cutting him off.

It was too late to apologize now. The damage was already done.

He opened his mouth to say something else, but I stopped him before he could.

“If there’s nothing else, I’ve had a long day.”

When he didn’t speak, I quickly told him good night and left his office. Once in my room, I locked my door and backed into it, a loud thump ringing in the space.

My phone pinged with a text. I set the bowl on my desk and placed my bag on the floor to reach for my cell phone in my back pocket.

I opened the thread in our group chat.