Abby A curse slips out of my mouth as I lurch across my living room. My fingers are clumsy as I fumble with the door handle, but finally, I yank it open. The porch light filters in, revealing Karl, his figure imposing even in the darkness of the street outside. “What are you doing here?” I’m mor
“Oh, Abby…” Chloe’s voice is the first to crackle through the speaker. “I’m so sorry we can’t be there. This food poisoning has us all in bed.” “But we watched the whole show,” Daisy chimes in, her voice hoarse. “You did so well, Abby.” “I can’t believe you were sabotaged.” John’s voice is stern
Abby The morning light creeping through the slits of the blinds pulls me from sleep. There’s a throbbing ache nestled behind my eyes, a telltale sign of last night’s overindulgence in wine. I prop myself up on one elbow, the room swaying slightly, and my gaze lands on the bedroom door. Beyond it
And before he could respond, I was scurrying away. My bedroom door closed behind me like an impenetrable fortress, and I was cast in darkness in more ways than one. Now, the memories of last night feel like a leaden weight in my chest. I run a hand through my tangled hair, wincing at the thought o
Abby The door to the restaurant swings open with a familiar creak, and the scent of fresh coffee and bread reaches my nostrils. It’s been two days since Karl left town. Things are finally back in full swing after the competition, but I took the weekend off to recover—not just from the cook-off,
There’s another long silence. But then, suddenly, Chloe blurts out a question that I never would have expected. “Do you think you should… I don’t know, try to stop him from leaving?” Her question catches me off guard. I whirl around to face her, my mouth agape. “Stop him?” I repeat, the absurd
Abby The smell of roasted coffee beans and fresh pastries fills the air as I step into the brunch spot where Chloe, Lea and I meet up once a week. It’s been a tradition of ours for years, and I’m glad to have things back to normal now that the cook-off is over Normal. The word feels foreign. A
Chloe nods emphatically. “Leah is right. You can'’ let one setback define you. And you were amazing at the cook-off, despite the mishaps. You have a gift, Abby.” I shrug, avoiding their gazes as I take a sip of my coffee. “Maybe. But right now, I really am enjoying the managerial work. It’s less..