Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 1 - Chapitre 10

HAZEL. I clinked the bottom of my glass against the table. I sniffed through my nostrils with tears dried on my cheeks. The club lights strobed and the music thundered in my chest. "You know you should put yourself out there" Evelyn's voice pressed against my ears as she reached for yet another shot glass, handing me another. She was already drunk I could tell. "I'd rather not" I ran my hands through my hair, yelling over the loud music. She looked around the room and her eyes landed on a tall, good-looking man leaning against the wall. His eyes were bright beneath the lights like an eagle in search of prey. I gulped down the glass of tequila, squeezing my eyes shut. I could feel myself getting drunk too. I needed it after the day I had just had. But the thing about alcohol highs is that soon come the lows. "What are we doing here, Evelyn?" And I mean very soon. My best friend turned to me. "What are we doing in Seattle's biggest club?!" She exclaimed. "Because I want you to

HAZEL. Six years had passed since I last saw Evelyn and we were still as close as ever. She was running a bar back in Seattle while I owned a very successful bakery here in Chicago. Life was good turning twenty-nine with two six-year-olds. We had moved into a much larger house, with a stable income and most importantly, peace of mind. But it wasn't always like that. At least not for the months that followed the birth of the twins. That was the hardest year of my life. I had to take on multiple jobs while trying to take care of my children who by the way hated to be quiet. Luckily, Agnes was there for the most part. I don't know what I would've done without her. She helped with the little she could. I started HazelNutz after two years in Chicago, a startup bakery that was barely thriving for a while. But I had a vision, it was more than making ends meet, being a baker was something I wanted to do ever since I was a little girl. Business was slow at first on this side of the tow

HAZEL. "What are you doing here?" Nicolas arose from behind his desk. He pressed his fist against the edge of the table and a furrow appeared between his brows. I felt a shiver go down my spine. I froze in that spot, even as he made his way towards me. "Are you stalking me, woman?" He raised his voice. The scent of him drifted through my nose. A mix of bergamot and whiskey. I remembered it almost immediately. Flashbacks from that night hit me. It was him. The man I from the bar six years ago. I squeezed my eyes shut and the memories flooded back to me. The shrill echoes of my moan and my nails digging into the sheets, pulling him closer. My lips buried into his neck. Of course I remembered that scent. A lot had changed over the last six years, my whole life had. Not only did I ever think I'd meet the man from that night who was the father to my kids but what are the odds that he'd be my boss? Nicolas Vaughn, his name left a lasting impression in the back of my throat, though

HAZEL. Evelyn had downed her hundredth glass of champagne that night. We sat around the table, she was dressed in a strident silver gown accessorized with a lavender scarf. I put on the same colors, the theme for tonight but with a lavender gown instead and silver heels. Playing behind was an orchestral version of a Radiohead song, setting the classy, quiet mood in the large hall. I looked around the crowds for him, but I couldn't pretend. It just felt like I'd rather see him than have him creep up on me again. But he was nowhere to be found. Then there was a sudden applause as Joseff climbed the stage. He held the mic beneath his lips. "We welcome you to the grand opening of Pearson's very own hotel right here in Seattle, Washington" The applause continued as a slightly shorter lady stood right next to him. I got up from my chair. "Give me a minute," I said to Evelyn, pulling out my phone. I felt a bit uneasy and I needed some air. I also needed to speak to my aunt who'd been ho

HAZEL."So what made you move to Chicago in the first place?" Josef's voice whisked me out of my thoughts before I went back in. Maybe it was that question that stomped my heart or maybe it was the fact that for the first time in ages, she was on a date. She wasn't used to this, dressing fancy in a fancy restaurant.Getting to know someone. I told myself I was going to take things slow and I couldn't for the life of me decide if I was doing that or the opposite. And Josef, of course he had no idea about the twins.That's the thing with dating as a single mother. There's only so much you can lay out on the first date."I just wanted a change" I finally lied, technically not a lie but also not the whole truth. I couldn't tell him about my father threatening me to never return to Seattle if I walked out of a wedding to a man who cheated on me with his secretary. I couldn't.I remembered that day like it was yesterday, the phone crashing to the ground, throwing my flowers in his face. T