“No intruders,” he whispers, a slight smirk crossing his features. “I guess I did my job last night.” I can’t help but let out a small laugh. “Yeah. I guess so.” There’s another moment of silence. I stare up at Karl, taking in the dark circles beneath his eyes; he’s probably got one hell of a ha
Abby Karl hands me my coat with a sympathetic look in his eyes. “Put this on,” he says. “I promised you breakfast.” “Oh.” I take my coat with a slight chuckle. “I got so caught up in the goodbyes that I guess I forgot.” Karl shrugs. “I kinda figured. You still want to go, though, right?” I p
I pause, taken aback. “Coffee would be great. Thanks, Sheryl,” Karl says with a polite nod. I watch as she walks away; I’m not used to being treated like this. Usually, giving food or drinks to customers on the house is something that I would do as a restaurant owner, not the other way around. I
Karl “Get that final draft to me today, Karl. We’re running out of time.” Sarah’s voice comes through the phone, a little sharper than usual. I don’t blame her, though. With the press conference to announce the election in just two days, we’re on a bit of a time crunch; and it’s partially my f
Abby The mansion feels so much bigger and emptier now that my friends are gone. For the few days that they were here, everything felt so lively and maybe even a little chaotic. Now, though, it’s as if my own heartbeat is echoing off of these walls. Normally, I wouldn’t mind; I did live here for
“I’m afraid,” I blurt out. “Plain and simple. Afraid of opening myself up, of potentially getting hurt again. Afraid that, even if he seems like he’s changed as of right now, that he hasn’t really changed all that much.” There’s a long silence as Elsie processes my words. Finally, when she answers
Abby Before I can even open my mouth to respond to Karl’s sudden request, he’s gone. I watch with a furrowed brow as he rushes out of the room, his footsteps receding down the hallway. It’s barely even seven o’clock in the morning, and he’s already demanding that I wake up and meet him downstair
I take a deep breath. “Alright, it’s not a big deal. Let’s go.” We approach the door, which swings open after a few knocks. A short-statured, portly older man greets us from the doorway. He’s got a warm, albeit somewhat eccentric and toothy smile. “Welcome, welcome!” Dr. Armitage exclaims, holdi
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