Lost in my text conversation with Sean, who had bombarded my phone with more details about his family that I hadn't had time to read, I entered the elevator without looking up. My focus was solely on crafting a response to his message... But then, a thought struck me, and I quickly checked the timestamp of his text. My heart sank as I realized he might already be waiting outside. Just my luck. "Is everything alright, Ms. Monroe?" A deep voice resonated near my ear, causing my breath to catch in my throat. Without any delay, I connected the voice to a face. "Oh. Hey. Um...wow. I mean, I didn't realize you were in here." "Clearly," he responded, and I could feel the heat rise in my cheeks. "You're late. Again." Confusion washed over me. Was he referring to my late departure from work? Wasn't that something most bosses would appreciate in their employees? Ms. Olsen certainly would. "I had to make some copies, and the machine was malfunctioning," I explained, searching for a way to j
[AVA] “How do I look?” I twirled around in front of Sean, hoping he’d approve of my cute little black dress for dinner at his place. It was finally the night we had been preparing for, the night when Sean would introduce me as his official girlfriend to his family and friends. To say I was nervous would be an understatement; I was practically trembling under my dress and stilettos. It had been a long time since I had made such an exclusive appearance, especially since my family had gone bankrupt. None of my past relationships had been worth the effort; they never went beyond kissing at frat parties or getting drunk at high-rise nightclubs. The mere thought of Sean’s parents and his obnoxious sister Coraline made my head ache. I could already picture Coraline throwing one of her pointless and over-the-top tantrums. Coraline and I were NOT on good terms these days. She hated my guts for reasons I could not wrap my head around. I had tried to share my concern with Sean, just so he wo
Catching up with Miranda turned out to be a smooth transaction and, if I had any doubts about how this hard-luck dinner was about to go, they relented a bit, if not all. As Miranda led us through the foyer, I couldn’t help but take in the grandeur of her home. The walls were adorned with elegant paintings and the floors were made of polished marble that reflected the light from the chandeliers hanging above us. The furniture was all high-end, with plush sofas and armchairs that seemed to invite you to sink into their soft cushions. I noticed a grand piano standing proudly in one corner of the room, and an intricately designed fireplace on the opposite wall. Everything about the place exuded wealth and luxury, and it was hard not to feel overwhelmed by it all. As we entered Miranda’s lavish abode, a sharp pang of nostalgia hit me like a ton of bricks. Despite my best efforts to suppress the feeling and focus on the present moment, the longing in my heart refused to budge. Each time I
I knew I had to keep my composure, no matter what. If I let my guard down, they would see through the charade. I couldn’t risk that, not when so much was at stake. So, I took a deep breath and reminded myself to focus on the task at hand. Sean and I had a performance to put on, and I couldn’t afford to mess it up. Feeling a bit more confident after giving myself a pep talk, I took a deep breath and straightened out my dress and makeup. I nervously shook my hands before finally gathering the courage to step out of the room. As soon as I did, I noticed Sean leaning against the wall across from me, and my heart skipped a beat. The moment he saw me, he grew stiff and peeled his back off the wall. I met him halfway down the hall. “Hey, are you alright?” he inquired, a hint of concern in his voice. I could sense that he was anxious and afraid that I might bail on him. Damn it. I didn’t want to make him feel that way. He was already under a lot of pressure. Summoning up all the courage I
[AVA] This was a complete disaster. I mean, I knew it had the potential to go south—I even warned Sean about it—but I definitely didn't intend for it to turn out this way. Now, I'm desperately hoping I'm mistaken, that this is just another dreadful dream before an important exam, and that everything will be fine once I open my eyes. But how can you wake up from something that's already wide awake? To my utter surprise, it wasn't Coraline who initiated the awkward conversation—it was her boyfriend. Aaron Grant. The notorious rebel of the Grant family. A classic embodiment of a filthy rich bad boy. That guy, from what I knew, only dated supermodels. So you can imagine my shock when I saw him standing next to Coraline. A twenty-one-year-old woman with the maturity level of a nine-year-old. "How long has this been going on?" Aaron asked, his dark eyes sparkling with his trademark mischievousness. I had a gut feeling that Aaron was intentionally stirring up trouble. I mean, come on
No one at the table bothered to speak up against Coraline's accusations, not even Brian. He just sat there, completely oblivious to the turmoil unfolding before him. Perhaps he, too, believed her false claims. Maybe he saw me as a gold digger like she did. Come to think of it, maybe that's why he was so harsh on me for being late that day. It was his way of reminding me of my place, of showing me that without money, I couldn't expect any leniency from him. "Well, I don't need to prove anything to you, Coraline. But thanks for the reality check. I almost forgot that all you care about these days is someone's bank account. Consider me reminded, although I didn't need it. I'll make sure to keep that in mind." I stood up, pushing my chair back and turning to face Miranda. "Thank you for having me, Mrs. Edwards. It was nice to catch up with you." "Ava," Sean's mom tried to stop me, but I couldn't bear to stay any longer. Sean also rose from his seat, shooting a glare at Aaron and Corali
[AVA] It's hard to turn down the sad younger brother of your deceased best friend, especially when you used to be just as close to him as he was to his sister. That's probably why, when Kian asked if I needed a ride, I couldn't bring myself to say no. He saw right through my feeble attempts to decline, or maybe it was the frustration etched on my face and the lack of alternatives that made my situation painfully obvious. I slid into the backseat, longing for this nightmare to be over. To be completely honest, all I could think about was kicking off these torturous heels, shedding this suffocating dress, and collapsing onto my bed. I craved the comfort of my covers, wishing to sleep away the memory of tonight's events. It was the only way I could imagine finding solace and moving on without being consumed by despair. I refused to let this one awful day have a lasting impact on my life. I had a bright future ahead, and I wouldn't allow tonight's ordeal to bring me down. But despite m
I remained silent, seeing no point in saying anything. I followed his request, securing the seat belt and letting out a resigned sigh as it clicked into place. Brian wasted no time, pulling the car out of the parking lot, and we were soon back on the road. Awkwardness hung heavy in the air, and my mind was a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts and emotions. I was on edge, fearing that something else would go wrong. The night had already been a disaster, thanks to Coraline and her clueless boyfriend, but even then, with all the attention on me, I wasn't as anxious as I was now. As we drove in silence, I averted my gaze out the window, observing the city, its bustling people, and the vibrant lights. But no matter how hard I tried, tension coursed through my body, my fingers tightly gripping the edge of my dress. And just when I thought and reminded myself for the umpteenth time to calm down, the car came to a stop at a red light, and without even thinking, I found myself glancing back
[AVA]“Nope! Still not picking up his phone,” Sean says, shaking his head, trying his damnedest to keep it together.I can’t blame him. If Brian walked out on me this way, I would freak out like hell. Fuck, I don’t even know what I would do. I would probably have a meltdown or something.Perhaps tha
[MAX]I’m ready to take a break and hand over the counter to Patrick when the rainbow girl walks into the café/diner, and the bell chimes over her head.Her eyes find mine in an instant, and I stop whatever I’m doing for reasons I don’t even want to know.“Hey!” She walks over to me, leans on the co
[AVA]“It’s a great idea,” I say to him, finally realizing that it’s never the gift that matters, it’s the intention. And Sean loves Aaron; he only wants the best for him.Sean looks so damn relieved, tears twinkling in his eyes.“Oh, thank God!” He chuckles, nervously running a hand through his dar
I chuckle. “I’d love that, but I’m not sure Aaron would appreciate being put on the spot.”“Don’t worry, I’ll work my magic,” Sean winks and heads toward the kitchen, leaving me alone in the living room.I wander over to the bookcase, running my fingers over the spines of Sean’s collection. He has a
[AVA]“Brian was right, this is a very bad idea,” I mumble to myself as I stand outside the apartment Sean and Aaron share. And yes, let me remind you this is the same apartment where Sean found Aaron furiously making out with his sister.And yes, I should not have thought about that because now the
[AVA]“I’ll miss you,” I say once Brian and I step into the elevator of his penthouse.Kian and Mason are already downstairs, waiting for us. But Brian, being Brian, needed a moment to “make it up” to me for the whole two weeks he would be absent.I’m excited for him. I swear, I am. And yet, when I
[BRIAN]Time for some honesty: I’m terrified of what I’m about to do.Rock/Mountain climbing, I’m not sure if I’m made for such stuff. I mean, sure, I love treks and long walks and boating and camping and driving and all that stuff but climbing a mountain? That sounds a little stretch, even for me.
We pull back and Brian glares at his twin brother, who in turn, winks at us, making sure we know he has only been kidding. “We are heading to the next store. Think you can take your make-out session on the go?”Brian flips him off and Mason laughs, walking away with Kian in tow.Kian looks over his
[AVA]“I can’t believe you agreed to this.”“Trust me, I can’t believe it either.”I chuckle, not able to help myself. I would have loved to see Brian climbing a mountain, but I can’t, and that makes me sad. But maybe I’ll have better luck next time. I just hope Brian will be as willing to take part