Chloe“Hey, Chloe!” Simon shouted the moment I walked into the workshop. But when his eyes registered my appearance, he frowned before he kept shooting questions. “What happened to you? You look like a great flood survivor!”He couldn’t know the truth. In fact, no one could.“Warming up for tonight.” a smile crooked my lip. To my best friend’s unsuspecting eye, I must’ve seemed hungover because he bought my excuse without a blink. After all, we did have a party to attend later.I took a moment to inspect the store, only to find everything in perfect order. Everyone was busy with their tasks, and before I had a chance to get to work, too, Simon jumped in again.“This journalist was here when we clocked in. He said a mutual friend told him about you and recommended he write a story about this place. He’s waiting for you in the front.”I froze, struggling to stay composed. This had to be Gemma’s doing. That amazing woman was so generous to me, and how was I repaying her? Breaking her son
Chloe“What the hell was that?”Oh, fuck!There was no chance I’d destroy my best friend’s bachelorette party with my drama. Yes, if it was her suffering from heartbreak, I’d pause my life to be there for her. And in any other case, I would rush to her to be my shoulder to cry on. But not her wedding, no. I would never forgive myself if I destroyed her happiness.Realizing I never even considered what I’d tell people about why Gabriel and I weren’t attached to the hip anymore, I shrugged and proceeded inside, trying to buy some time with silence.Like a pit bull fixated on a stray cat, Gina followed me to the kitchen as I advanced towards my goal – the champagne that had been chilling in the fridge since yesterday.“Don’t look at me like that!” I chuckled while pouring two high glasses with the bubbly liquid. “We had a disagreement,” what an understatement! “It’s nothing you should worry about.” I tried to brush her off, but unlike Simon, she wasn’t buying what I was selling. Her accu
Gabriel“So, just like that?” Ryan eyed me suspiciously as he leaned against the pool table. “No explanation? No reason?”I shrugged my shoulders in response. There was nothing I could say that I hadn’t already repeated a dozen times.“But why? I don’t get it.”‘Neither do I, buddy. Neither do I.’ I thought, but stayed silent and bent forward to aim the ball.One, two, three… and miss!Dang it!All right. That would be enough drinking for tonight; I pushed the glass filled with amber liquid away and strengthened up. Based on my previous behavior when I had too much to drink, there was no doubt where I’d end up, but tonight that door wouldn’t open no matter how much I knocked.When I started planning Ryan’s bachelor party, I considered organizing a classic clubbing with our friends or even a trip to Vegas, but nothing seemed suitable for the occasion. A few girls and a lap dance sounded like a great solution, but I had a feeling Ryan’s newly discovered infatuation wouldn’t appreciate i
ChloeAlthough I was involved with organizing the wedding from the beginning, my surprise at how the venue turned out was genuinely pleasant. Tables were already set and decorated with a charming combination of white flowers, while the altar and the chairs covered with silk were being placed as we arrived.Gina chose the most prominent spot - the Greystone Mansion. It started as a joke when she declared she wouldn’t settle for anything less than the most expensive venue, and Ryan went and made reservations. Later, she protested and wanted to cancel, but her future husband did his magic and convinced her it was, in fact, the perfect place to say their vows.The hairstylist and make-up artist were already there, and they started working on Gina the moment we entered the apartment preordained for the bride. Even though they insisted on dolling me up, I categorically refused; too much color never looked good on me. So I opted for bolder eyeliner and red lipstick, a combination that never
Chloe‘I warned you,’ stared at me from the screen. What a marvelous ‘good morning.’Cold sweat dewed my skin, and I shivered in angst.The message didn’t need to be signed for me to know who sent it. Molly. Damned Molly and damned be the day I met her.I didn’t have to be a rocket scientist to conclude what those words meant - the dance. Gina’s wedding was big. A few hundred people were present, and it was not impossible she had her ‘spy’ there. Anyone could’ve been her eyes there.Why was Molly so persistent in her endeavor to separate me from Gabriel? Why was she going to such lengths to scare me off? I failed to understand her reasoning, no matter how much I thought about it. Then again, I wasn’t a psychopath, so the chances of me figuring out her thought process were slim to none. Either way, I was seriously starting to worry about what she could do.With my nervousness reaching its limits, I got ready and headed downstairs. The world wouldn’t stop turning just because my life be
ChloeI couldn’t say that the night behind me was easy - it was everything but.However, knowing I did the right thing helped me stay on course and not drown in sorrow. I was sad, and I missed him like crazy; hell, even my bedsheets bore the memory of him… they still smelled of him. But I wasn’t falling apart. I could navigate my life without Gabriel while loving him the same.When I thought about it, it was high time I visited the old family cottage at Lake Alice. I spent many vacations with my parents there, and many great memories tied me to that place. After they died, Grandma and I decided to sell the Seattle house, but I couldn’t say goodbye to the cottage. I hadn’t been there for a few years, and now was a perfectly good moment to revisit the past.Little before 8 o’clock, I headed downstairs, wanting to start early. But truth be told, I was getting eager to see Abby, and that eagerness was not letting me sit still and wait.Just as I had hoped, not an hour later, my coworkers
GabrielChloe Danvers.Woman that made me fall in love like I never thought was possible. Woman that drove me crazy. Woman that made my life hell.No matter the time I spent thinking about what made her slam the door right into my face, I failed to figure out why. Because Chloe would never shut me out of her life for no reason. Especially not after proclaiming her love for me.Could it all be fake? Was she lying all along? An iron fist of doubt clenched around my heart for a second, but I willed it away. No, she never lied to me; she was a book opened for me to read.What happened that day? It wasn’t that stupid kiss Molly surprised me with. No, it couldn’t be. Chloe had to know I would never change her for Molly. Molly wasn’t worth standing in her shadow.I was missing something, and I had to figure out what it was if I wanted to get her back. That’s why I decided to give her the space she asked for while I turned every stone, searching for the answers.And as luck would have it, I w
Gabriel“Gabriel, son!” Douglas exclaimed when he came to greet me.Butler followed behind Scott, more loyal to him than his own shadow.I ignored the offered hand and moved to take a seat - I wasn’t here for the pleasantries; we passed that stage eons ago. “Where are your wife and daughter?”“Oh,” a glider of hope sparked his eye. “Arabella is here, and Molly should arrive at any moment.” A slight nod of his head was a sign enough for the butler to disappear, to call for the house mistress, I presumed. “What brings you here?”His expectations reflected on his face, despite his best efforts to hide them.And I?I was never more grateful for being stuck in a traffic jam than today. Moving at a snail’s pace through the city allowed me to calm down and collect myself. No matter how tempting burning down everything in my way was, I should play it smart. Enjoying the sweet taste of violence was a luxury I could not afford - the aftertaste would not feel half as good as the one waiting for