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
AudreyThat morning, I found myself sitting in Leo’s office for the second day in a row.“Care to explain, Audrey?”Leo leaned back in his chair, looking utterly exasperated. The jovial young man who had introduced me to the team just yesterday seemed gone now, replaced by someone who was tired and
Throughout the day, I felt Linda’s gaze boring into me from across our little cluster. But every time I looked up, she appeared to be utterly focused on her own work. It was maddening. Was I imagining things? Going paranoid? The constant feeling of being watched made my skin crawl.Later that aftern
AudreyI trudged into the house late that night, my feet aching as I kicked off my shoes. The sound of laughter and the faint glow of the TV drew me to the living room, where I found my friends sprawled across the couches, video game controllers in hand and half-empty pizza boxes strewn about.“Well
Gavin watched me work in silence for a few moments before speaking again. “Listen, Audrey, I wanted to apologize for what happened at the party. You know, when I… tried to kiss you.”My hands stilled under the sewing machine. “Gavin, you don’t have to—”He held up a hand, cutting me off. “No, I do.
AudreyI sat behind my desk, pinching the bridge of my nose as I stared absentmindedly out the window. The voices from the video meeting droned on, barely registering in my mind; rather, I was focused on the city skyline that was stretched out below me, a maze of glass and steel that usually filled
I had squared my shoulders, trying to call her bluff. My hands clenched into fists at my sides, my nails digging into my palms. “I don’t care about my status. Do your worst.”But Fiona had one more card to play. Her voice had dropped to a menacing whisper, her eyes glittering with malice. “You think
“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