AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“God knows.”
We both laugh, but honestly, I don’t think I would have been able to get through the last few years without her. Madison has been extraordinary, and I hope I can be that for her too, if she ever needs me the way I’ve needed her.
I look back at my story notes on the table next to me. As exciting as my email was, I need to get back to that.
Girl No. 9has exceeded everyone’s expectations. It’s done so well on the reading platform that my publishers want me to have another serial ready to go the same weekGirl No. 9ends. That was something good too, but the kind that provided an avenue for me to lose myself in a great distraction.
Madison and I have been in here for over five hours, brainstorming ideas for my next serial. I always enlist her help when I’m writing something new. Sort of like an alpha reader, but we talk it through. She loves reading my kind of romance and always has a good eye for trending tropes.
“How about we finish this up and go out for dinner?” I hold up the notebook.
“Hold your horses, Miss Lady, but yes to all of that.” She brings her hands together. A sign she’s about to expand on the pep talk. “Can we talk aboutPeople Magazinefor another minute? It’s kind of a huge deal.”
“I know, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself.” I grit my teeth. “I might not get the job.”
“But what if you did?” Her eyes gleam with all the hopes she has for me. “You wouldn’t be able to carry on working at Sunset Cove. You know that, right?”
“I know.” There’s a heaviness in my tone that grips me. It’s like my heart is speaking, showing its sadness.
“What would you do?”
This question has come up because after Mom died, I was adamant that I had to bethe oneto take over her job. I didn’t think anyone else could do it, and I refused all suggestions. But that was just my grief acting out.
Now the question has come up again, and it’s something I have to seriously think about. Especially with the recent developments regarding the renovations.
I’ve been avoiding the topic of Sunset Cove entirely for the last few weeks because it’s too painful to talk about. Madison is aware of what’s happening with the renovations, or rather what’s not. She’s also been there with me to see Knight’s fancy French team doing their thing on the premises.
It broke my heart to tell Skye that I had to hold off on using her services because Knight didn’t like the forties theme. I had to be truthful about the latter, but I embellished the story that Knight was putting up all the funds to do a fuller renovation than I planned. She mostly believed me.
“I guess I’d have to hire someone,” I answer when Madison deepens her stare. “I was hoping to still be around, but honestly, maybe it’s best if I’m not. Maybe it’s time to let go.”
The luster recedes from her face like a dimmer on a light switch. “Aurora, no. You can’t do that. What, and let Knight have it?”
“No, I wouldn’t let him have it, but as I’m not able to do what I want with the place, maybe it’s best if I’m not there at all. I can’t stand to see it being torn apart, knowing it’s going to look completely different from what Mom wanted.”
“I still think you should fight back.”
My chest caves. I want to fight back too, but I don’t know how.
“It’s a little difficult to do anything when Knight has been avoiding me.”
Maybeavoidis too strong a word. To avoid me, he would have to consider me, and I don’t think he even does that.
The truth is, I’m little more than a house plant here. As long as I’m watered and fed, I can still carry out my function to marry him.
Not seeing Knight shouldn’t bother me as much as it does. I should be happy I haven’t seen him. He’s the most wretched person I’ve ever met.
At the same time, his avoidance of me has closed the door on any chance to reason with him. And…
It’s opened another door I don’t want to go through. The one where I’m wondering where he is. And what he’s doing.
Who he’s with.
My mind has provided several possibilities for that last question, but I keep imagining him with Chelle/Giselle.
Madison taps my knuckles, cutting into the thoughts I shouldn’t be having. “How about you make him stop avoiding you? You’re going to have to see him at some point before the wedding.”
I blink, wiping the thoughts of Knight and Chelle from my mind. “At the rate things are going, I won’t see him until the fundraiser.” That’s three days before the wedding. “As for talking, the man is too difficult and stubborn. Getting through to someone like him for something like this requires power, which I don’t have.” I gave all my power away when I signed Knight’s contract.
