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Chapter Twenty-Five: The Holiday Truth
publish date:
2026-07-21 00:10:27
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nineteen and unravelling Chapter Thirty: The Ashes on the Runway
Backstage at the university's grand auditorium, the atmosphere was absolute, high-fashion adrenaline. The air was a thick cloud of hairspray, expensive perfume, and steam from the row of fabric steamers. Designers were screaming, models were being frantically stitched into their garments, and makeup artists were aggressively blending eyeshadow under the blinding vanity lights. In our designated corner, Chris and Bianca had turned into a two-person hurricane. "More volume on the curls!" Chris commanded, pointing a comb at Bianca, who was carefully styling my natural hair into a towering, majestic halo. "She needs to look like a storm cloud before the lightning strikes! Bianca, check the seams on the silver!" They had outdone themselves. The outfit was a structural masterpiece. Over my shoulders, I wore a heavy, dramatically draped, dark charcoal wool wrap that covered me completely—looking like a burnt, protective, and imposing shell. But underneath, Chris had built a breathtakin
nineteen and unravelling Chapter Twenty-Nine: High Stakes and Low Blows
I didn't wait for Dom to reply. I didn't want to see the frustration in his eyes turn into something softer, or worse, something pitying. I just turned on my heel, the hem of my black slip dress brushing against my calves, and walked back into the warmth of the crowded house. But escaping him wasn't that easy. When the party finally started winding down around two in the morning, Bianca and I realized her brand-new SUV was completely boxed in by three different cars in the narrow driveway. With Chris and Leo practically attached at the hip, Leo immediately offered a solution. "Dom can drive us," Leo said, his arm wrapped securely around Chris's waist. "He didn't drink, and his car is parked out on the main street." Which was how I found myself pressed against the passenger door in the backseat of Dom's vintage, dark-gray Jeep, staring pointedly out the window. Chris and Leo were in the front, completely lost in their own sweet, quiet bubble, murmuring to each other and holdin
nineteen and unravelling Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Red Velvet Confession
Even though our new loft apartment was practically empty, save for a few cardboard boxes and a blow-up mattress we had dragged in, the energy inside it was pure, unadulterated chaos. We were using the massive, gold-framed bathroom mirror to do our makeup, our voices bouncing off the bare hardwood floors as our favorite playlist blasted from Chris's portable speaker. "If we are doing this, we are doing it right," Chris declared, aggressively blending his eyeshadow. "I am nineteen tomorrow. I am practically an elder. I must look the part." "You look beautiful, C," Bianca laughed, adjusting the straps of her dress in the mirror. She had gone for an effortlessly chic look—a slinky, emerald green cowl-neck slip dress that complemented her skin perfectly. I stood behind them, taking a deep breath as I looked at my own reflection. Following Chris's golden advice of "If he acts cold, I act colder," I had dressed to absolutely slay. I wore a jaw-dropping, backless black slip dress that c
nineteen and unravelling Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Key to Everything
Three hours after Chris returned with the Thai takeout, the sharp, rhythmic knock on the dorm room door didn't sound like a typical college student. It was firm, deliberate, and entirely unexpected. Bianca looked up from her laptop, a makeup brush paused mid-air. "Are we expecting a package?" "No," I murmured, frowning as I pushed myself up from my floor mattress and padded across the room to open the door. The moment the handle turned, my breath caught in my throat. Standing in the harsh fluorescent lighting of the hallway, wearing a flawless camel-hair trench coat, a cream cashmere sweater, and a warm, elegant smile, was my mother. She held a massive, premium bakery box in one hand and her designer handbag in the other, looking like she had stepped straight off a high-fashion mood board. "Mum!" I gasped, instantly throwing my arms around her neck. "Oh, my sweet girl," she murmured, hugging me fiercely, her familiar, comforting lavender-and-vanilla scent instantly wrappin
nineteen and unravelling Chapter Twenty-Six: The Rebound Mistake
The text thread with Dom had become a quiet, addictive constant in my life over the remaining days of winter break.After that initial, late-night "Hey, sunshine" on New Year's Eve, the barrier between us had completely evaporated. We didn't talk about Malik, or Talia, or the red wine stain I'd had to scrub out of my favorite top. Instead, we talked about nothing and everything. He sent me terrible, fuzzy photos of his acoustic guitar chords at 3:00 AM; I sent him cynical memes about high-society galas that made him send back dry, single-sentence texts that still somehow made me laugh out loud.Through the tiny screen, Dom had felt safe. He was the only part of college that didn't feel contaminated by the ashes of my past.Which was exactly why, standing in the frosty morning air outside the off-campus athletic dorms, I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole.His name was Brandon. He was a junior from my History of Western Civilization class—possessing a jawline that wa
nineteen and unravelling Chapter Twenty-Five: The Holiday Truth
The drive back to our quiet, tree-lined suburban neighborhood was a quiet, suffocating blur. I kept my phone turned off for most of the trip, refusing to look at the photos of Talia that still lingered on my camera roll, or the unanswered calls from Malik that had finally stopped a few days ago. Stepping into our home, however, felt like a warm, protective embrace. The house smelled of my mum's signature slow-roasted herb chicken, fresh gingerbread, and the faint, sweet scent of the vanilla candles she always lit during the holidays. My dad, warm and grounding, practically lifted me off my feet the moment I walked through the door. My mum, my absolute anchor, held me so tight I felt the icy, protective armor I'd built over the last two weeks begin to thaw. But I couldn't tell them. Not yet. My pride wouldn't let me. I didn't want to ruin their Christmas with the pathetic story of how my childhood best friend and my perfect boyfriend had ruined my life. So, I played the part of the
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