Audrey“Oh, no! I lost my earring…”I sighed as I stared at my haphazard reflection in the vanity mirror. My hair had come undone from its updo, my makeup streaked from tears and my dress rumpled. But most of all, my eyes were fixed on my missing earring.My fingers traced the empty hole in my left
It was like something deep inside of me took over whenever I needed the help the most.…The next morning, after finally getting some sleep, my friends and I went to a local cafe for breakfast with the intention of doing some shopping afterwards and then spending the rest of the day at the beach aga
Audrey“But… What about your girlfriend?”Edwin’s eyebrows shot up and he immediately looked confused, followed by concerned, then confused again. Clearly, my words had taken him off guard. Maybe he didn’t expect me to find out about the reality of his situation.“Girlfriend? What girlfriend?” he fi
“I won’t.”I watched, wide-eyed, as he walked away. In fact, I couldn’t even rip my eyes away from his broad back until he was out of sight, and even then, I couldn’t look away from where he disappeared until the barista called out our order.My mind was still reeling from the conversation when I re
AudreyI slumped into my seat in the cafeteria, letting out a tired sigh as I rubbed my eyes. It was only the first day back from spring break, and it had been utterly exhausting—and to make matters worse, it was only lunchtime.Tina plopped down across from me, her tray clattering against the table
With that coming up in a few weeks, I had already begun making my dress and mask. It was an event to look forward to every year, with live music, amazing food, and even a lantern lighting ceremony at the end.“So, what’s your thesis going to be about?” Tina asked around a mouthful of chicken salad.
Audrey“Edwin?” I blinked in surprise, taking a step forward and leaning down to peer into his car. “What are you doing here?”“I was out for a drive on my day off,” Edwin replied coolly with a shrug of one shoulder. “Are you headed somewhere?”I nodded, glancing at my watch again. “I sort of missed
Edwin nodded. “You’re going to do fine. Just try to avoid saying ‘um’ and ‘well’ too much, alright?”“Got it.”As I was about to close the door, I paused, glancing back through the car window. Edwin sat calmly, his tweed jacket laying over the back seat and his hair slightly ruffled, with his white
“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