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It was studio style, open and airy to make up for the fact that it was tiny, and it was all mine.

There were no wake-up calls, no drills in the middle of the night, no rules – mostly – about what I could and couldn’t have.

What colors I could use.

What I could hang on the walls.

What I could have in my closet.

I smirked, very satisfied with myself as I slid the door back on the tiny space, peering in at the hangers that held my curated items. I happened to like the black, white, and gray palette imposed upon us in theGarden, so it was repeated here, but still.

I’d handpicked them all, without a single thought to who else might like it.

For tonight’s adventure, I chose a simple white top that bared my midriff, comfortable black jeans, and black and white sneakers, and basic silver hoop earrings – I wasn’t dressing to impress. I was dressing to look like any other late-twenty-something that might be there, so I could blend into the crowd instead of standing out.

In the mirror, I tugged at the neckline of the top, which I’d never worn before, self-conscious about the tattoo just above my breast, near my armpit.

The only tangible thing linking me to my old life.

It wouldn’t do for that to be showing.

Once I was satisfied the shirt did a good enough job keeping my “brand logo” under wraps, I grabbed my keys and wristlet to head out.

This time, I made it all the way to the door that led out to the street before I stopped.

What are you so afraid of?

For the life of me, I couldn’t figure it out.

There were very few people in the world who knew who I was, and even fewer cared. Of those who did, maybe some wanted me dead.

Most wouldn’t put any money or resources behind it.

My threat level was pretty low.

In fact… I was probably safernowthan I’d been in a very long time, much more than I’d been when every public outing had a dossier attached, including details of who I was supposed to be at any given time.

I was one girl now.

Just me.

And there was no mission besides living my life however I wanted.

Nobody was coming for me.

And really… maybethatwas the problem.

I could step, masterfully, into any role I was handed without missing a beat, without detection.

But this wasn’t a role.

It was life.

Something I had painfully little experience with.

I pushed the door open and stepped out, refusing to allow myself the comfort of going back upstairs. It was barely ten o’clock, and the spring weather was beautiful, so there were plenty of people out and about.

I ignored them all, locking the door behind me and heading for the crosswalk, keeping my focus narrow.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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