33

~Aria

Three weeks later.

A knock on the front door startles me.

Quickly, I unknot the apron from around my neck, tossing it onto the bench. I've gotten back into cooking to distract myself from not being able to find a proper job. My parents stopped supporting me after I came back from the competition, and my lack of experience in any field hasn't helped me at all.

The double chocolate chip cookies in the oven are my only solice.

I'm expecting Alexa this afternoon, so it surprises me that she came early. She never does. When I open the door, however, I realise it's not Alexa, my best friend, at the door.

It's Brynn.

She leans against the doorway, dark hair slung back into a ponytail, which is a new look for her. What isn't new, is her dark clothes, the same as what she wore during the competition. Her designated Love pack clothes, I assume.

"What are you doing here?" I question in surprise. "I mean, hey!"

"You never told me you were rich," she muses, brushing past me and into the ho