Audrey & Third PersonAudrey’s POVThe party swirled around me, a cacophony of laughter, music, and clinking glasses. It should have been a night of fun and revelry, an exciting way to kick off the summer on a high note.But despite the crowd and the pulsing music, I felt hollow. Empty. Even the alc
“Gavin,” I said, his name catching in my throat. “I can’t. It’s not... I’m not…”Gavin’s face fell, but he nodded, understanding in his eyes. We had been here before, too many times. Chuckling softly, he held up his almost-empty beer bottle. “Blame it on the alcohol?” he whispered.I nodded, looking
AudreyI took a deep breath, smoothing down my skirt one last time before paying my fare and stepping out of the taxi. This was it: the first day of my internship. The first day of the rest of my summer, and quite a summer it would be.The Brooks Designs building loomed ahead of me, all gleaming gla
There, standing at the forefront of the group, was a familiar face: Linda.She turned, her predatory eyes locking onto mine, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flash of... something in her gaze. Surprise? Anger? But then she was smiling, extending her hand towards me.“Audrey! What a surprise. Truc
AudreyMy jaw was practically dragging across the floor as I stepped into the design department. Rows of pristine glass drafting tables lined the entire space, each one occupied by a designer who was bent over their work.The air was filled with the soft scratch of pencils on paper and the click of
I felt like I had been slapped, and the food in my mouth quickly turned to ash. “What? No, of course not!” I sputtered, nearly choking on my salad.“Come on,” she pressed, sliding onto the bench beside me. “No one thinks a human could get a position like this without... you know. It’s okay, you can
Audrey“Audrey, I have to say, I’m extremely disappointed.”Leo leaned forward, placing his elbows on his desk, and pinned me with a disapproving glare. His earlier ear-to-ear smile had long since faded, the creases in his forehead pronounced now that his eyebrows were knit together. Not even his co
But, despite my frustration, I couldn’t help but marvel at the quality of the materials as I picked up the scraps. Silks, chiffons, and intricate laces—all incredibly high quality, of course. If there was one thing I knew about Edwin, it was that he didn’t cut corners in his business.To think that
“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