I was enjoying a nice evening at home when I heard a pounding at my door. I looked out the peephole and saw that it was my landlord. Confused since I had already paid that month’s rent, I opened the door only enough to show my face. “Good evening, Mr. Schmidt,” I said in the most cheerful voice I
The article detailed my manslaughter conviction and release from prison, as well as where I worked and for how long. I couldn’t believe all the details that the writer had gotten. I looked at the journalist’s name. Matthew Shoemaker. Who was this man, and where did he get all this information? I
Andrew could not believe what he had learned. He recognized the names of the reporters on the tabloid articles about Crystal’s ex-convict status as those of Lisa’s classmates, and he connected the dots immediately. He would not let his daughter besmirch Crystal’s name like this, not to mention possi
I gaped at Noah, unsure of what to say. He was proposing to me? But we hardly knew each other! “You hardly know any man,” Susan reminded me. “You were the one who thought that he was marriage material.” “Yes, but he’s—” “Not Andrew.” I could tell by the look on Noah’s face that I was already
Terri laughed. “No, I’m not. We’re just grabbing some lattes before we head over to that new Latin dance club on 5(th) Street. You want to come?” As much fun as that sounded, I knew that I couldn’t go. Where would I change into appropriate clubbing clothes? That was without mentioning that I did
My first instinct was to tell Andrew how cliché that line was. My second was to yell at him for nearly giving me a heart attack. I did neither. “What are you doing here?” I asked instead. “I could ask you the same question,” Andrew said, suddenly serious. “What are you doing out here, at night,
Andrew buzzed himself in, and the gates opened for us. We drove up the long gravel driveway to the front steps. “Wow, Andrew,” I whispered in hushed awe, “it’s magnificent.” “Just now noticing?” he teased, a little laugh to his voice. “I didn’t really have time to see it in all its grandeur th
I heard Andrew’s footsteps echoing down the hall. I scrambled off the floor and back onto the couch, while trying to wipe my cheeks and eyes. I knew that my mascara had run, but I hoped that he would figure that it was from the rain. “One nice, warm towel, fresh out of the dryer,” Andrew announced
That night, long after the last of the guests had left for their rooms, Andrew and I returned to the presidential suite to find that the staff had decorated it in preparation for our stay. All the décor, right down to the bed sheets, had been switched out for matching red and gold pieces. The light
Andrew’s eyes met mine as I approached the altar. He smiled at me, and I smiled back. He looked so handsome in his classic black tuxedo that I could hardly wait for after the reception to be with him. As I took my place across from Andrew, I handed my bouquet to Lily. The priestess bega
One month later, I stood in a suite at a private beachside resort, admiring my wedding dress. It hugged my curves in all the right places while still gently brushing against the ground like a low-hanging cloud. Crystals glistened in the room’s fluorescent lights, and the train flowed behind me effor
“Let’s continue this in the bedroom,” I said, breathless. Andrew nodded his agreement. I pulled Andrew to his feet as he stuck the ring box back in his pocket. Then I dragged him back to the bedroom, leading him by the tie. Not that he needed to be dragged; he would have followed me anywhere by th
Andrew texted me and said his flight was delayed by a few errands he had to run, so I waited. And waited. I waited for an entire day, and even began to worry that Andrew had changed his mind. Then I heard a knock at my door. I leapt off the couch and rushed to answer it. Stopping just short of the
Noah left the next day. I took him to the airport, we exchanged a hug and a brief farewell, and then I watched him walk through the gate. That was the last time I ever saw him. With a heavy heart, I returned to an empty apartment. All our furniture and my belongings—what little I still had—were the
Sensing the urgency in Noah’s voice, I leaned in closer. “What is it?” I asked, trying to suppress the anticipation in my voice. Noah’s grip on my hands tightened. “I’m going to study financial law in the human world.” I froze. My heart thumped hard against my ribs, so hard that I thought th
The nightmares did not stop. In fact, they got worse. By the end of that week, I was having at least one every night, and it was showing in behavior during the day. I could scarcely stay awake. At my new branch of Ever After Weddings, I had to sneak off into the breakroom whenever there were no cu
I dreamt of the Lunar Festival. Noah and I walked hand-in-hand through the stalls, enjoying the sparkling lights and the company of our new pack mates. Yet something was off. I could feel a chill in the air, a foreboding that I could not quite shake off. “We should get out of here,” I said, tryi