“Oh my Goddess,” Betty gasped, pointing. “Is that... Max?”I nodded, unable to take my eyes off the scene. As Max stumbled further into the room, I noticed that something was written across his forehead in what looked like permanent marker: “SCHEMER”.Laughter erupted from the surrounding students a
EdwinI was still riding high on my victory over that little snot, Max, as I settled back at my seat at the bar. Carefully adjusting my mask on my face, I dusted the last remnants of a scuffle in the courtyard off of the sleeves of my jacket and ordered another scotch—to celebrate, of course.Charle
And yet... a small part of me couldn’t help but wish I could go. The thought of sitting in an empty planetarium, observing the stars with Audrey, sounded like a dream. I could almost picture it—the two of us all alone, surrounded by the vastness of the cosmos, a bottle of champagne between us, those
AudreyAs soon as the stranger’s lips met mine, my first instinct was to push him away. Who did he think he was, kissing me like that in front of everyone?But as the kiss lingered, something familiar washed over me. The warmth, the pressure, the taste... I knew these lips. My body relaxed involunta
Shaking my head, I slipped away from my friends and followed the direction I thought I had seen Edwin disappear. I found a small door toward the back of the ballroom, which was slightly open. Glancing over my shoulder to make sure security wasn’t watching, I pushed through the door and shut it behin
Audrey & Third PersonAudrey’s POV“So it was you…”The man in the midnight blue mask remained silent, crouching just feet away from me. This was no stranger; this was Edwin. Edwin was the one who had kissed me at the masquerade.And Edwin was the one who had saved my life.Slowly, I picked up my sk
Without another word, he suddenly led me through a side door, and suddenly we were in the gardens. The cool night air was a relief after the stuffiness of the hallways. In the distance, I could hear the muffled sounds of the orchestra playing, but we were blissfully alone.Edwin, slipping his mask b
AudreyI stepped back from the mirror, admiring the soft curls in my hair and touching up my mascara. I had spent the last hour getting ready for my planetarium date with Edwin, and the excitement bubbling up in my stomach was hard to ignore.We had, of course, made a promise to keep each other’s id
“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