I froze, blinking in surprise, and then Edwin was suddenly beside me, his hand slipping discreetly into mine and pressing a handkerchief into my palm. My fingers tightened around it automatically, and I raised it to my nose, dabbing away the blood before anyone else could notice.“That’s enough for
AudreyThe lake cottage appeared just as it had the last time we visited—secluded and quiet, nestled into a copse of pine trees with the water’s calm surface glittering in the afternoon sunlight. Edwin put the car in park at the end of the gravel driveway, and the scent of fresh air hit me as we cli
I had to admit, it was. The sun felt wonderful on my skin, and the clouds were drifting lazily through the blue sky overhead. We floated in easy silence for a while, just listening to the sounds of nature around us—the soft rustling of leaves, the occasional call of a bird, the water lapping against
AudreyI woke to the feeling of warm sunlight washing across my cheek. My body ached pleasantly, and with it came my memories from last night—Edwin’s hands on my skin, the soft murmur of his voice as he whispered my name, the warmth of his breath against my neck.We had made love practically all nig
The air was still pleasantly warm despite the early hour, and it was forecast to be even hotter today. I could already picture myself spending the day in the lake yet again.“When did you buy this place?” I found myself asking as we ate.“A few years back,” Edwin replied. “I needed a place just to g
AudreyBy the time we finished grocery shopping for the impromptu party, the afternoon sun was hanging high in the sky and the air was even hotter than I had anticipated. Edwin and I hefted the grocery bags out of the trunk of the car, Edwin pausing to raise his eyebrows at the sheer amount of food
I carefully nudged Peter and Betty closer together without them even realizing it, and soon they were talking a little. But only a little—and Peter’s look of chagrin when he’d realized what I had done wasn’t lost on me.But even as I laughed and dodged the occasional water gun stream, my eyes kept d
Audrey “Does this man look familiar to you?” Edwin slowly pushed the drawing across the cold metal interrogation table. Sophia sat on the other side of that table, her hair hanging in her face, her eyes ringed with dark circles, and her orange jumpsuit wrinkled. She’d been in solitary confinem
“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