Abby It’s a short walk to Chloe’s apartment, but it seems to drag on forever as my mind whirls with possibilities. What will I say to Chloe? Will she even want to speak to me? What if this truly is the end of our friendship? When I finally reach her door, my hand hesitates in the air, hovering o
“You both need to listen to me,” I begin, and instantly, Chloe’s eyes flash. “No one is going to listen to you,” Chloe hisses. “You need to leave.” “Let her talk, Chloe,” Leah interjects, her voice softer than I expected. Shooting Leah a thankful look, I take a deep breath and steel myself. “G
Abby The atmosphere shifts as our arms untangle. We’re all a little teary-eyed, but none of us say it. Instead, Chloe reaches for a tissue from the box on her coffee table, and holds it out for me. “Well, I didn’t expect this tonight,” Leah says, sniffling. “Yeah, me neither,” Chloe says, dabb
Abby “Excuse me, I don’t mean to interrupt,” I say, offering ‘Alex’ a tense smile as I walk up to her and Anton. “I just need to speak with Anton for a moment.” “Um, sure,” Alex says, scribbling something else on her notepad. “Take your time.” Throwing her another grin, I snatch Anton by the a
Daisy clenches her fists. “Ugh, I knew something was off about her.” Chloe rubs her temples. “So what’s the plan, Abby? We can’t just kick her out.” “Yeah,” Ethan adds. “We don’t need another PR nightmare right now.” “Oh, don’t worry,” I say, a sly smile crossing my face. “I’ve got an idea. We
Abby I’m standing in the middle of the restaurant, my phone clutched in my hand as I stare at the screen. The headline glares back at me: “Inside Abby’s Bizarre World: A Journey into the Mind of a Lunatic.” “Guys, you have to see this,” I say, grinning as I turn the screen towards Daisy, Chloe,
“Intentionally? Are you kidding me?” My voice is shaky as I process this. “Just get here, Abby.” “I’m on my way,” I say, hanging up. The room spins around me as I turn to face my team. “Guys, I have to go. There’s been a fire at my building. They think it was set on purpose.” Karl stands up, v
Abby I’m sitting in the sterile confines of the police station, the room buzzing with the noise of ringing phones and chatter. I can’t help but fidget in my seat as the detective shifts across from me, jotting notes down on a clipboard. “So, you’re absolutely sure you can’t think of anyone w
Abby Intrigued, I let Karl take my hand and lead me discreetly away from the reception, weaving through the tables and out a back door into the gardens. A mischievous grin plays on his lips as we giggle like teenagers, ducking behind hedges and scurrying across the lush green lawns. “Where are w
As the music shifts to a slow ballad, I feel a familiar pair of strong arms circle my waist from behind. “There’s my beautiful wife,” Karl’s deep voice rumbles in my ear, sending shivers down my spine. He spins me around to face him, our bodies swaying in time to the soft music. I gaze up at him
Abby The reception hall is cast in a warm, romantic glow, with twinkling lights and the warm flickering of candles on every table. Soft music plays as Karl and I make our entrance, hand-in-hand to raucous applause and cheers from our guests. I can’t stop smiling as we wave to our loved ones gather
Abby The afternoon sun streaming in through the tall windows of the chapel casts the stones in a warm golden light, giving everything a sort of ethereal energy. I stand in the hallway, my arm linked with Anton’s, as the wedding coordinator prepares everyone to walk down the aisle. “Are you ready
Abby As I sit in front of the vanity mirror with the hair and makeup artist circling around me, I meet my friends’ gazes in the reflection; Chloe, Leah, Daisy, and even Elsie are here as my bridesmaids, each of them looking more beautiful than the last. “The seamstress really did do a great job
Abby With a gasp of excitement, I pull the wedding gown out of its box and hold it up in the light. Everything is perfect; the way the beadwork catches the light, the silky texture, the shape. I can’t wait to try it on now that it’s been altered to fit my body. Quickly, I slip out of my clothe
Abby “Abby, why don’t you sit down?” Karl looks up at me from where he’s sitting on the sofa, a look of concern on his face. He pats the spot next to him, but I shake my head. “I can’t,” I say, continuing to pace back and forth in our living room. “I won’t sit down until I hear back about that
Abby As I chop, stir, melt, and saute, the others stand around me, watching intently. The pasta simmers on the stove, the air smelling like warm butter and spices. It’s enough to make anyone’s mouth water. But my focus isn’t on the rumbling in my belly, nor is it even on the lingering pain in my
As we continue searching, I keep thinking back on our last harrowing hunt for black truffles; those poachers nearly shot us. Even now, I can still remember the sound of the bullets whizzing past my head, and the thuds they made when they careened into trees. “We got really lucky,” I say. “If we ha