The Substitute

"I wonder what will happen to Ava now that Lydia is back."

"But I thought Alessandro really loved her."

"No matter how good you are in charming a man, nothing beats a first love."

Eve's eyes remained shut at the set, earplugs blocking her ears from the rest of the world.

She feigned ignorance when the makeup artist regarded her puffy eyes with pity in her eyes, and pretended she didn't hear any of the words spoken about her.

None of them was after all anything in comparison to the ache slamming into her heart.

Alessandro hadn't returned home last night, nor had he called her back.

She had stayed up for a good part of the night, waiting, staring at the diamond wall clock and her phone, and then looking at the front door.

But Alessandro hadn't done as much as leave a text.

He had stood her up in that restaurant while the staff gossiped and muttered shit about her.

Yet he hadn't bothered...

Eve dug her fingers into her palms to dull the emotional avhe that was spreading through her hea