Page 8 of Checks & Bonds

Without a word, I slid the card across the bar to her. She picked it up gingerly, as if it might bite. Her eyes scanned the text quickly.

"Never heard of it," she said finally, handing it back.

"Me either," I replied, slipping the card back into my pocket.

She leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "Why do you have that? And why aren’t you focusing on Psych & the Law?"

I shrugged. "Rebecca gave it to me. She said it might help with... everything."

Ivy's eyes narrowed slightly. "Rebecca? Isn't she that weird girl from your Ethics class?"

"She's not weird," I said defensively. "She's just... different."

"Different how?" Ivy asked, leaning forward with genuine curiosity.

"She's got this aura about her," I explained, searching for words that made sense. "Like she knows things—things people don't talk about."

"That sounds exactly like what I'd call weird." Ivy rolled her eyes but smiled softly. "Anyway, what's this ceremony supposed to do?"

"I don't know yet," I admitted. "But if it can help me get out of this engagement with Henry without ruining my life or my family’s reputation..."

She sighed, setting her pen down.

“I just… I want to be free, Ivy,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

“I get it,” she replied, her eyes softening.

“I love you,” I began, feeling the weight of the words. “But you don’t. You can’t. You and Liam work.”

“We didn’t always,” she pointed out, tilting her head slightly. “Maybe if you gave Henry a chance?—”

“I’m not going to be fine with him stepping out on me, Ive,” I cut in, my frustration bubbling up. “Does Liam?”

“He would never,” she said sharply, her glare like ice. “And he doesn’t want to.”

“Trust me, I know how crazy he is about you,” I said, offering a small smile.

“And who’s to say Henry won’t be?” Ivy asked, raising an eyebrow.

I scoffed, crossing my arms over my chest in defiance. The thought of Henry being anything but indifferent felt like a cruel joke.

“And,” Ivy continued, not missing a beat, “how do you know going to this Imprinting Ceremony is going to change anything?”

I looked down at the card in my pocket, its edges pressing against my fingers like a lifeline. “I don’t know if it will,” I admitted. “But I have to try something. And if that means participating in the Imprinting ceremony, so be it."

The room fell silent except for the ticking of the clock on the wall. Ivy stared at me for a moment longer before shaking her head slowly.

"Imprinting ceremony?" a voice asked from behind me.

I turned to see Liam Wolfe, his white hair still damp, sticking to his forehead. He must have just gotten back from hockey practice. His tall frame filled the doorway, his sharp eyes scanning the room with a calm, collected air. He had an almost otherworldly presence.

Ivy's face lit up the moment she saw him. She stood up so fast her chair nearly toppled over and jumped into his arms. Liam caught her with ease, his strong arms wrapping around her as if she weighed nothing. They kissed passionately, and I had to look away, feeling my cheeks flush.

They only got married in November, but they were already like this—deliriously, annoyingly in love. Their marriage had been arranged, just like mine with Henry, but somehow it had worked out for them. They had found something real and beautiful amidst the formality and tradition.

I was genuinely happy for her. She deserved this kind of love. Yet a part of me ached with envy. I wished I could have what they had. But I knew deep down that I'd never get it.

I cleared my throat, trying to bring myself back to the conversation at hand.

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