But no amount of fussing could disguise the truth. I knew deep down this wasn’t a question of an ill-fitting dress—it was my own body that was the problem, soft and ugly and— “Hannah? You okay?” “Fine!” I squeaked out, my head spinning as I hastily unzipped the dress and tore it off over my head
Hannah Dinner was every bit as awkward and tension-filled as I had anticipated—and then some. Zoe sat across from me, her posture rigid and her gaze fixed resolutely on her plate as she nibbled at her food in silence. It was clear from the tight purse of her lips and the furrow in her brow that
“Oh, but I am,” Drake said, leaning forward on his elbows. “It sounds exciting, and besides, you know what they say about a good scare—it gets the blood positively pumping.” At that last word, he slid his gaze over to Zoe. Her cheeks reddened and she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. A beat of si
Hannah I stood there, frozen in Drake’s arms as the chaos around us dissolved into normalcy—or at least, something akin to it. The warm amber lights bathed the room, revealing the haunted house for what it truly was—nothing more than an intricate set, complete with masked actors and special effe
Hannah Noah was silent for a long moment, his expression utterly unreadable in the dim glow of the parking lot lights. When he finally spoke, his voice was low and even. “We don’t need to talk about love right now, Hannah.” I let out a bitter laugh, shaking my head in disbelief. Of course he w
At the far end of the room, a middle-aged woman with kind eyes and a gentle smile stood beside a whiteboard, scribbling something down as she nodded along to whatever was being said. As my gaze swept over the group, a few of the women noticed my presence and fell silent, their expressions morphing
Hannah The next day, my phone buzzed with an incoming call as I was brushing my hair out in front of the mirror. Picking up the phone, a knot of dread instantly formed in the pit of my stomach as I stared at the name flashing across the screen. Emma. The last time we had spoken, things hadn’t
Me? She was envious of me? I didn’t believe it. I opened my mouth to protest, but Emma held up a hand, effectively silencing me. “Please, let me finish,” she begged. “It wasn’t until recently that I realized how toxic and damaging that mindset was—not just for my self-esteem, but for my overall