Abby Applause begins to ripple across the studio audience, but all I see is Karl, sitting in the back, staring down at me. He’s wearing a blue surgical mask, but I know it’s him. I can tell by his eyes, by the way that my wolf stirs ever so slightly just from looking at him. “Wow, Abby,” Sarah s
Abby The knock on the door interrupts my pity party, and for a split second, I debate whether or not to even answer it. But before I can make up my mind, the door creaks open and I catch the sight in the vanity mirror—Karl, his blue surgical mask lowered, his brown eyes shining and a bouquet
“I’m just so tired of it, Karl,” I murmur into his chest, a sob quaking my body. Karl holds me for a few long moments, his hand rubbing my back as I sob into his chest. But when the sobs finally subside, and I slowly lift my head to look up at him, his gaze is fixed sternly on the wall behind us
Abby Vanessa walks up to me, her heels clicking softly on the tile floor. The room slowly begins to pick up its volume again, but I feel lost in a giant void. “Are you okay, Abby?” Vanessa asks, her voice pulling me back to the present. “I-I’m fine,” I murmur, although the words feel lik
“Thank you,” I finally manage to say, my voice so low it’s almost a whisper. “I… I think I needed to hear that.” “We all do, from time to time,” she says, her eyes softening as she reaches out to squeeze my arm. “So, whenever you find yourself doubting your worth or questioning your place in thi
Abby “What’s going on?” I ask Karl as we approach the restaurant, checking my watch. The lights are off and it’s an hour before closing. “Why is it so dark?” “Um, actually, I wanted to tell you earlier but I figured you’d rather see it firsthand,” Karl says, looking a little embarrassed. “So
“Did you mean it?” Chloe asks, her voice quieter than before. “What you said on TV today? About everyone here?” I reach out and take both of their hands in mine, aware of how clammy my palms are but not caring in the slightest. “Every single word,” I assure her, my eyes flicking between Chlo
Abby “Need some company?” Karl’s eyes slide over to the bottle in my hand, and a slight smirk tugs at the corners of his lips. He scooches aside and nods for me to join him. “Sure.” I join him as he leans against the wall. Our shoulders brush as we stand beside one another, a familiar yet bitt
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