Shana blinks, clearly taken aback by my openness. She seems pleasantly surprised but doesn’t comment further on the matter. Instead, she smiles warmly and nods. “Okay. I’ll keep that in mind.” As we continue our quiet walk through the garden, I can’t help but wonder if I’m finally letting go of
Abby It’s the day before the Alpha party, and I feel as though I haven’t stopped running around since the sun came up. Chloe and Leah, always my biggest cheerleaders, have also been by my side since the crack of dawn. “Abby, you should take a rest,” Leah says, gesturing for me to join her and Ch
We all turn, and that’s when I see it: Mr. Thompson at the forefront of a large group of people in uniforms. They’re carrying boxes of decorations, buckets of cleaning supplies, and all sorts of things that I can’t even recognize. “Abby!” Mr. Thompson exclaims, holding his arms out as he approache
Abby I’m standing in the kitchen, the crates of ingredients scattered around. It feels unreal, how fast everything is coming together. The bustle of Mr. Thompson’s team in the dining area seeps through the walls, and although I have an urge to go out there and try to lend a hand, I know that I’m b
Karl I’m standing outside of my brother’s room, my hand lingering in front of the doorknob. This is it. After years of being in a coma, my brother is finally awake. I take a deep breath and push the door open. And there he is, sitting up in bed. “Ethan,” I breathe, my voice catching in my thro
Abby Excitement courses through me as I fasten my pristine white chef’s coat in front of the full-length mirror in my bedroom. My hair is pulled back into a neat bun, still a tiny bit damp from my morning shower. “Today is the day,” I say out loud, even though I’m completely alone in my apartmen
John gets to work preparing the meat, and Anton starts on the desserts. I place my focus on the main courses, a wide variety of different meals that all need to be prepped, from luxurious seafood dishes to hearty steak and potatoes. Daisy and Chloe, with their impeccable attention to detail, begin
Abby I take a deep breath as the Alpha party begins, the buzz of excitement and chatter filling the air. It’s finally here, the culmination of months of hard work and preparation. I couldn’t be more excited—and I also couldn’t be more terrified. “Abby, the first orders are coming in,” John calls
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