Abby The tension in the room feels palpable, a thick curtain of unsaid words and unexplored emotions hanging in the air between Karl and me. My grip tightens on the knife handle as I glance at the chaos of ingredients strewn across the counter. “Tell me first,” I blurt out, wanting to avoid the
Abby The night weighs heavy on me, each mile that separates Karl and me adding to the burden I didn’t think I’d ever have to bear again. I spend the rest of the night tossing and turning in bed, trying to bury the memories of our argument and the sting of his words. It’s infuriating that he would
“Listen, I just came to talk,” he finally says. “If you don’t want to, I understand.” I can't look away from him; his presence is too overwhelming, too filled with a history I’ve been trying to ignore. “You came to talk? Really? Because last time we talked, you made it abundantly clear how you fel
Karl “Watch it, you’re massacring those veggies,” John calls out, glancing over from the stove where he’s sauteeing some garlic and mushrooms. I chuckle, adjusting my grip on the knife. I’m supposed to be julienning some peppers, but instead I’ve lost my train of thought and accidentally begun d
“And you know how much this competition means to her,” my wolf retorts. “If you ever plan on winning her back, you need to show support. Show that you care. And not just about yourself.” “I do care for her,” I shoot back defensively, but my wolf has already withdrawn, leaving me alone with my thou
Abby “Let me help you.” Karl’s words hit me like a ton of bricks. Karl, of all people, wants to help me prepare for the competition that we were only just arguing about? I can’t believe it. “You’re joking,” I murmur. Karl shakes his head, his eyes darting down to the failure of a souffle sit
But I quickly shake off the idea. No, he doesn’t have enough experience. It would be silly for me to choose him as my sous chef. Right? … The next morning, Chloe greets me with a steaming cup of coffee as I walk into the restaurant. “Morning, boss lady. How are you today?” “Good, actually,”
Abby Chloe leaving sends me into a spiral. Hot tears begin to prick at the backs of my eyes as I watch her fading form. Some of my other employees are starting to trickle in, with Daisy at the helm, who nearly ran face-first into the slamming door as Chloe brushed past her without so much as a g