When they were done, they dragged me back out into the hallway and shoved me into the open. My clothes hung in tatters on my frame, exposing far more skin than I was comfortable with. I tried to cover myself as I knelt on the carpeted floor, but there was little left of my outfit to work with, leavi
AudreyIt was nearly midnight as I lay in my bed, tears silently streaming down my face. The events of the day kept replaying in my mind like a horrible movie I couldn’t turn off, and sleep eluded me. Linda’s cruel laughter, the snip of scissors, the feeling of being exposed and humiliated in front
Curious, I peeked inside. My eyes widened as I realized what it was. Pulling out the soft white blouse, black skirt, and red cardigan, I breathed, “Edwin, this is…”“The same outfit you were wearing today,” he finished for me. “I remembered exactly what it looked like, so I went and got you a new on
AudreyAfter a fitful night of sleep, I woke up to the incessant buzzing of my phone before the sun had even fully risen over the mountains on the horizon. Groggily, I reached for it, squinting at the bright screen.It was barely 7 AM, but I already had a flood of notifications on my screen—mostly f
“‘Audrey is a lovely, genuine young woman with a passion and skill for fashion design that I have rarely seen in someone so young,’” Tina continued reading. “‘The suggestion that she would rig the results of the fashion show is not only false but goes against everything I know about her character. A
AudreyMy breath caught in my throat as I slowly approached the chair. Set up at a table beside it was a large lie detector machine, where a man in a suit was sitting. In front of the chair was a camera on a tripod.“What… What is this?” I asked softly, hesitant to sit.Mr. Lewis cleared his throat.
“Did you intend to rig the results of the fashion show by having Professor Brooks as your model?” Mr. Lewis asked.“No, absolutely not,” I said firmly. “I even told him that I didn’t think we should do it since he owns Brooks Designs, and he assured me that he wasn’t one of the judges.”Mr. Lewis ra
Audrey & EdwinAudrey’s POVI felt a wave of relief wash over me as the technician removed the lie detector sensors from my body. The camera’s red light blinked off, and I let out a breath I didn’t even realize I had been holding this whole time.Mr. Lewis cleared his throat. “Well, Miss Thatcher, i
“I think you’re going to change so many lives,” I said to Eliza. “Those kids are so lucky to have you.” Eliza looked down, her cheeks pink. “Thank you, Audrey. Really.” Tina piped up next. “And my LGBT counseling department is finally off the ground! ” She paused, leaning into my mother, who was
Audrey After a long flight, we finally touched down in Italy. The sunlight streaming in through the plane window was a promising golden hue, and just the sight of it made me feel like my heart was about to leap out of my chest. “I might need a nap when we get to the villa,” Edwin yawned, shaking
And as I watched, I felt a hand slip into mine. I glanced up, finding Edwin beside me, his gaze focused on the runway but his approval humming through the bond. My mother stood on my other side, wrapping her arm around my shoulders. A lump rose in my throat, and I couldn’t even speak. None of us c
Audrey Edwin and I emerged from the small room, his hand still resting protectively on my back. The hustle and bustle of last-minute preparations immediately hit us, assistants running back and forth, models being ushered into position, and the soft hum of the audience’s chatter drifting through t
“There’s always time,” I whispered, grabbing the wrist of his free hand and pulling it close to peer at his watch. The movement caused him to topple forward, and he caught himself on his other palm, caging me against the hard wood of the vanity. “But maybe not enough time to waste right now.” Edwi
Audrey Before I could even answer his question, Edwin rushed past me and locked the door. When he turned back to me, he was grinning from ear to ear. The sight of that mischievous look on his face made my breath hitch. Once, it had been like pulling teeth to get the man to smile. And now here he
He didn’t need to tell me twice. I tore into the wrapping paper, revealing a soft red scarf. I could tell immediately that it was handmade—there were more than a few uneven stitches, and the outline was lumpy. It was far from perfect. But I loved it all the more for that. “Goddess, Edwin,” I laugh
Audrey The morning of the show was a frenzy. No, more than a frenzy. It was complete and utter chaos. I spent the entire morning from sunup to noon running endlessly from one end of the venue to the other, desperately trying to make sure every last detail was perfect. The racks were lined with c
“Uh… Yeah,” Malakai said. “Coffee would be nice.” A few minutes later, the three of us sat around the table, steaming cups of pitch black coffee in our hands. I kept it bitter, just in case Malakai was here to stir up more shit. It burned a little going down, but I sipped it anyway. Malakai look