AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The audience bursts into laughter, breaking the tension, and for the first time all evening, I breathe.Really breathe.Justin smiles, clearly impressed by my quick recovery, and I can’t help but return it.
As he grabs the envelope and dramatically announces, “And the Award for Best Up-and-Coming Artist goes to…” My pounding heart takes on a new rhythm.It’s no longer a beat of fear but one of triumph.
In facing a choice that seemed monumental, I chose to battle my fears, and that feels like the biggest victory of all.
* * *
The rest of the evening whirls by in a haze.Friends, colleagues, other artists—everyone’s talking, congratulating, filling the air with a palpable sense of excitement.And yet, even as the awards ceremony comes to a close and the anticipation of the afterparty builds, it’s Kingsley’s presence that keeps pulling at my attention.
He’s been quietly by my side, navigating me through the crowd.His silence is a comfortable one, but it’s his smile that speaks volumes to me.As he guides me into the afterparty, I catch him looking at me with a mix of admiration and something else—something deeper.
He may not say it, but his smile confirms that he appreciates the personal triumph I experienced tonight.But at that moment, it hits me.His smile, as warm as it is, will never be enough to fill the space between us.He can't give me the acknowledgment I crave from him and the emotional closeness.
The realization causes a mixture of sadness and resolve to wash over me.I push past him, breaking our unspoken connection.Tonight, I’ll lose myself in my own sea of triumph, a space where I don’t have to wonder about the what-ifs and could-have-beens with Kingsley.I’ll celebrate my victories, big and small, and try to forget how bad my heart is breaking for just a few hours.
25
Kingsley
The moment she steps out onto that stage, conquering her fears, it’s like watching a supernova explode.She’s not just radiant.She’s blinding.And that cobalt blue dress?Damn, it’s as if it was sewn from the very fabric of her courage.But here I am, stuck on the sidelines, trying to quell the fire that’s been smoldering inside me since I first met her.
And then there’s that guy—Justin-fucking-Cole.The way he sidles up to her, laying on the charm, it’s like a punch to my gut.I can’t help but imagine my fist meeting his smug face.The jealousy coursing through me is a toxic mix of envy and possessiveness, and it’s eating me alive.
It’s not just a clash of emotions.It’s a full-blown war, a volatile blend of love, desire, and a stinging sense of inadequacy.It feels like I’m caught in an emotional crossfire, my heart and head at odds, both vulnerable targets.
I could throw caution to the wind, shatter every rule I’ve ever made, and just tell her.Lay it all on the line.But as she laughs at something he says, my courage falters.Does she even see me anymore?As much as I want to be the one who lights up her world, I have to ask myself—do I even belong in it?Because she deserves the universe, and right now, I’m not sure if I’m a star in her sky or just a fleeting comet.
* * *
The sudden crash of a tray hitting the floor pulls me out of my internal battle.Everyone else seems to go on with their chatter, their laughter as if nothing’s happened.A young waitress is on her knees, trying to clean up the mess, and it’s like I see a mirror image of how I feel—out of place, forgotten.So, I kneel down beside her to help.
“You don’t have to,” she says, a young face framed by wisps of hair that have escaped her bun.I notice she’s pretty, but it doesn’t stir anything in me.Not when my thoughts are consumed by another.
“It’s fine,” I assure her as we continue picking up shattered glass and fallen appetizers.
“You shouldn’t be—” she starts to say, but I cut her off.
“I’m no one special,” I tell her, and in this setting, it feels truer than ever.
Her eyes scan me quickly, picking up on my lack of designer threads or the polished air of a celebrity.“Have you ever been to anything this fancy?”she asks.
I pause and look around the grand ballroom, really seeing it for the first time tonight rather than focusing onher.It’s an opulent display of luxury.Crystal chandeliers cast a warm glow on everyone below, intricate flower arrangements that look like they’ve been crafted by artists rather than florists, and walls plastered with high-tech graphics that shift and change, creating an almost ethereal atmosphere.Even the band, on stage at the far end of the room, looks like they’ve been plucked from a list of who’s who in the music world.
And yet, despite all the glitz and glam, it feels hollow.Because the one person who can fill this emptiness inside me is across the room, probably not even aware that I’m here, helping a waitress pick up broken pieces from the floor.A fitting metaphor for my life right now, broken pieces and all.
As we finish cleaning up, I place the last of the broken shards into a bin.The waitress smiles at me, her eyes lingering just a bit too long.“Thank you, really.Most people here wouldn’t have given it a second thought.”
“No problem.It’s just the right thing to do,” I reply, a bit awkward with the attention she’s giving me.
I’m not used to this kind of interaction, especially not here, in a place where I already feel like a fish out of water.
She leans in closer, her voice dropping to almost a whisper.“Well, if you ever want to escape this crowd, just know you’ve got a friend in the service industry.”
I chuckle nervously.“I’ll keep that in mind,” I say, already looking for a way to excuse myself.“Anyway, you should get back to your work.Don’t want to get you into trouble.”
“Right,” she says, taking a step back, but not before giving me one more lingering look.
As I turn to meld back into the crowd, my eyes find her—Victoria.For just a second, our gazes lock.I see something flicker in her eyes, something that looks a lot like jealousy, but then, just as quickly, it’s gone.She turns back to Justin, laughter and smiles exchanged as if I never existed.
