LauraGideon was calling for me a few meters away. There were a lot of people coming and going in the building's entrance hall, so I decided to pretend I wasn't hearing him calling me and just walked around, hoping to reach my car as quickly as possible. What Albert said to me earlier played in my h
I kept thinking about how I was really willing to leave everything behind and go back to a new relationship with Jason, but even though the feeling of love I always had for him was still there, continuing with Jason was pulling me back to the bottom of the well, bringing out the worst in me. The sus
LauraWhen I kissed him, Gideon laughed, somewhat surprised by my sudden action. “God in heaven, I love it when you surprise me like that,” he said with his hand on my face, still filling my lips with kisses. “Do you really like it?” I asked a little slyly, with my hands clasped around his neck. “
Laura“Are you going to just stand there and say nothing, Laura?” Jason demanded to know, still giving Gideon and me a deadly glare. “I hope you're having so much fun that you stop taking care of your daughter for vain adventures,” he accused again. I felt Gideon's hand stiff in mine, and he took a
Laura Suzy and I were finishing making dinner, she was cleaning the dishes and I was finishing preparing the salad while the lasagna was almost ready. In the open kitchen where we were, we could see Jason and Gideon sitting on the sofa while talking quietly while Annie jumped in front of the TV, fo
Laura“Dinner was good; I enjoyed the company of your friend, your daughter, and yours,” Gideon said with a smile. We were in the parking lot of my building, and he was saying goodbye so he could leave. “Why does he keep looking at us?” he asked, pointing behind me with his chin. I looked behind me
“Yes, he may be all that, but you know your heart is weak for guys like Will Herondale, intense guys like me. That's why you fell in love with me and married me,” he reminded me. Jason and I had talked once about the characters in one of the fantasy books I liked, and he ended up saying that I was a
Laura “Are they gone already?” Suzy asked as soon as I got back to my apartment. “Uh-hum,” I replied, nodding, and plopped down on the couch, feeling extremely tired and with a headache. “The day was huge today, wasn’t it?” She commented with a giggle, seeing my deplorable situation. I nodded
Annie POV I nearly fell over when I saw Peter calling me. My mom, who was watching me from the corner of her eye, clearly knowing something she shouldn’t, as always, asked who it was. “It’s just Summer, Mom,” I replied reluctantly, standing up and heading to the balcony. I loved my mom, but she ha
Laura POV “I love the outfit you chose to wear today. You’re absolutely stunning, my love,” I said, praising my daughter while gently caressing her arm. This weekend had been tough for Annie. She’d had the freshman ball on Friday night, and today, Sunday, she had to accompany me to this brunch at L
Annie POV That night, we fell asleep curled up together, still reveling in each other’s bodies. It was simply impossible to describe. A mix of longing, nostalgia, and satisfaction at having him there again, feeling his body under my fingers, his kisses, his gaze, running my hand through his silky
Annie POV Peter Morton’s face was just inches from mine, staring at me. The electric blue of his eyes was so close I could see his irises dilating and contracting. “You okay, Lady Ann?” he asked. I sighed with a small smile, half in delight. “It’s been a while since anyone called me that.” Actual
Annie POV The masked boy—who I didn’t want to admit was Peter—took me to an upscale, comfortable hotel where I could spend the night safely, away from everything, and try to regain my composure and figure out what to do next. “You can stay here,” he said calmly, though his voice still carried a hi
Annie POV The masked boy led me through the dark campus, his hand firm in mine as we ran away from the ballroom. My legs trembled, the blue dress swishing with each step, and tears still streamed down my face, hot and relentless. The sound of the shouts, the judgments, still echoed in my head, bu
“No choice?” He cut me off, his tone incredulous. “Are you serious? You chose to help Madison make that video. You chose to plug it into the projector. And now Annie’s out there, broken, while you try to run from the responsibility. This doesn’t fix anything, Abby. It wasn’t supposed to end like thi
Abby POV I was there, tucked away in the shadows of the ballroom’s corner, my heart still racing as I watched the chaos I’d helped create unfold. The giant screen kept playing that horrible video, distorted and manipulated clips of Annie echoing through the room like a final verdict. People poin
Annie POV I was still on the dance floor, the warmth of the masked boy’s body against mine, my head resting on his chest as the slow music guided us. The sound of his heartbeat against my ear was almost hypnotic, and I let myself get lost in that feeling I couldn’t quite explain. He’d just said s