Abby The morning sunlight streams through the curtains, casting a warm glow that starkly contrasts with the cold feeling settling in my chest. I’ve been up all night, haunted by Karl’s confession, the unending complications it brought into my life, and the dilemma of Adam’s unknown intention
“You don’t have to do this,” he says softly, as if finally realizing the finality of this moment. “I know. I want to.” He steps back, giving me space to walk away. For a second, our eyes meet, and in that moment, I see a flicker of the man I once knew, the man I once thought was changing for
Karl As I watch the train speed away, a new form of emptiness settles in my stomach. Abby is pissed at me; I know that. I know that what I did with Adam was messed up, and I guess I hoped in some sort of naive way that she would never find out. Well, she found out. And she’s furious. Hell, s
She looks at me, her eyes filling with tears, and for a moment I think she’s going to argue. But then she just nods, her shoulders slumping in defeat. “Very well,” she murmurs, looking down at her desk to avoid meeting my gaze. I don’t wait for her to say anything else. I turn on my heels an
Abby I push open the door to the restaurant, the soft chime signaling my unexpected entrance. I feel the weight of curious gazes on me—Daisy, Ethan, a few waiters. They’re all surprised to see me back so early. “Abby, what are you doing here?” Ethan asks, a mix of confusion and concern etchi
Chloe rises from her seat and comes around the desk to hug me. “And even then,” she continues, her arms wrapping around me, “maybe you shouldn’t let him back in. This is it, Abby, This is the sign you needed to remind yourself that he’s no good for you.” I hug her back, finding a semblance of co
Abby The restaurant has long since closed, but the aroma of sauteed onions and garlic still lingers in the air. The sound of sizzling oil on the stove and the faint melody of a song that I don’t like wafting from a speaker in the corner mix together to create a tense symphony that I absolutely d
We both dip spoons into the sauce, tasting it simultaneously. It’s… alright. The paprika adds an unexpected depth of flavor. But it’s just not what I wanted. None of this is what I wanted. I had really thought for a while that Karl would wind up being my sous chef for the competition, but that had t