Audrey“Darling…”My mother held her arms out to me as I burst into her hospital room. Her skin was so pale it was almost translucent, her cheeks gaunt and her eyes hollow, but…She was alive. And sitting upright in the hospital bed.A sob escaped my throat as I rushed forward, practically throwing
“I love you too, darling,” Claudia replied. Then, her brow furrowed slightly. “Audrey, what about Fiona? Is she alright? She hasn’t visited me.”My smile faded at the mention of Fiona’s name. That was one thing I hadn’t talked about during my visits—one thing I couldn’t bear to bring up. As far as I
Third PersonOne month ago…Fiona’s heart pounded like a war drum in her chest as she threw herself into the passenger seat of the waiting black car, her fingers gripping the leather seat so tightly her knuckles turned white. The driver hardly even waited for her to shut the door before he was peeli
AudreyThe scent of cherry blossoms and fresh coffee filled my lungs as I burst out into the spring air. I staggered out through the automatic hospital doors, dodging a group of nurses, and sucked in deep lungfuls of the stuff to help calm my nerves.Why was I being like this? He was my mate, and I
I nodded, following his gaze up at the pink trees. “Spring here is always lovely,” I replied.“Not as lovely as you.”My stomach twisted. I blushed deeply, looking away, at the trees, at my feet, anywhere but at him. But I could feel him looking at me, his gray eyes boring holes into the side of my
AudreyMy heart pounded like a war drum in my chest as I paced back and forth in the small bathroom, the click of my high heels echoing too loudly off of the tiled walls. My voice trembled slightly as I read the last paragraph of my presentation out loud one last time:“In conclusion, this piece, ti
“See?” Tina said, adjusting my hair one last time. “You look amazing, and you’re gonna do great.”I nodded, but my heart was pounding for more than one reason. Tonight, after my presentation, Edwin had promised me a date. The thought sent a flutter of excitement through my stomach, momentarily overs
Audrey“Mr. Black.”The sight of the man almost made my heart stop in my chest. I hadn’t seen him in person since that awful interview last summer when he had implied that I should sleep with him if I wanted his mentorship for this very project.His lip curled slightly as I approached, his eyes raki
“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