AgnesElijah’s words left my head reeling.“You… sent them away?” I found myself asking. I wasn’t sure why exactly, but for some reason, I couldn’t quite bring myself to fully believe it. Maybe it was because no one in my life, not even my own parents, had ever bothered to go to such lengths for me.
I shook my head quickly, recalling the interview with my college professor all too well. “That won’t be necessary,” I said, forcing a small, wry smile. “I think you’ve already made your point pretty clear.”His lips twitched, the faintest hint of a smile playing at the edges of his mouth. But his ey
AgnesThe design room still felt as stifling as it had the very first day I had walked in here. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the screen, and my heart was pounding faster than ever.It was everywhere. Somehow, someone had managed to snap a picture of me and Elijah in the midst of an… intimate mo
“There you are!” she exclaimed, pulling me into a hug the moment I reached her. “You look amazing.”I laughed as I sat down beside her. “You’re the one who looks amazing.”“Flattery will get you everywhere,” she quipped, sliding a menu toward me. “But seriously, Agnes. How’s life as Luna?”I rolled
ElijahThea’s laughter rang out through the house as she darted behind the couch. Her stuffed bear, newly dubbed Mr. Snuggles, was clutched tightly in one hand. For my part, I had been tasked with “the hunt”—her words, not mine—and despite the sharp ache in my knees from crawling around on the floor
Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. I blinked, struggling to find a response. Thea just stared back at me, her chin jutting out in defiance, as if daring me to disagree with her.And truthfully, I couldn’t.“Thea,” I began, but the words wouldn’t come. How could they? What could I possibly say
AgnesThe cold wall slamming against my back sent a sharp jolt of pain barking through my body, but it wasn’t enough to clear the haze that was creeping into my mind.I tried to push the man away, but my limbs were suddenly feeling sluggish and weak. It was like trying to fight through the onset of
Agnes & ElijahAgnesThe first thing I noticed was the dull, throbbing ache behind my eyes. It pulsed with every beat of my heart, like a rhythmic reminder of the drugs coursing through my veins.The second thing I noticed was the nausea. My stomach churned violently as if I was stuck at sea, and as
AgnesThe scent of garlic and tomatoes greeted us as we stepped inside the house later that evening. Elijah was already at the stove, stirring a pot of what smelled like spaghetti sauce with the white sleeves of his button-down rolled up to his elbows, exposing his muscular forearms. He looked up as
“Thea, sweetheart… We’ve talked about this before. I would love nothing more than to be your biological mother. But…” I swallowed hard. “I’ve already had you tested. You’re not my biological daughter, no matter how much I want you to be.”Her face crumpled, and tears spilled down her cheeks. “But wh
AgnesThe following morning, I stood in the design department’s fabric storeroom, surrounded by endless bolts of luxurious materials. How long had I been in here? Minutes? Hours?The sketches for my new dress were complete, and the patterns were cut, but I still couldn’t decide on a color. After the
When we came together, it was like a dam breaking—intense, overwhelming, leaving me trembling in his arms. My chest heaved as I caught my breath, and Elijah held me close, his lips pressing soft kisses to my forehead, my cheeks, my lips.His touch was gentle now, a stark contrast to the ferocity of
AgnesI followed Elijah up the stairs, our fingers intertwined and our footsteps soft and quiet. The house was silent around us, save for the faint creak of the steps and the distant hum of crickets beyond the windows.But then there was my heart, pounding so hard against my ribs I thought for sure
“I’m glad,” he said softly. “You both needed something good after yesterday.”I leaned against the island, thinking about the sweet evening with Thea. “She called me her hero, you know. For coming to save her.”Elijah smiled. “Well, you were.”I shook my head. “I don’t feel like one after that incid
AgnesI rushed toward Elijah, my heart hammering in my chest. Even in the dim light of the entryway, his black eye was startlingly obvious—a dark, angry bruise circling the socket. He was slumped against the door, looking exhausted, but he straightened when he saw me, grimacing slightly from the eff
“Just like yours,” she said happily.“Just like mine.”Next came hair braiding. Thea sat on the floor between my knees as I gently worked through the tangles of her dark hair, separating strands for a French braid. My fingers moved automatically, muscle memory from years of doing my own hair. I humm
AgnesI pulled into the driveway around seven, exhausted after a long day of sewing, designing, and avoiding Maria’s knowing glances.The bathroom incident with Elijah had been the talk of the design department by lunchtime—whispers and stifled giggles following me throughout the afternoon. I’d buri