da's

door shut

t is heaving with shallow breaths. The air's loaded with the smell of lavender soap and

y knuckles go pale. My reflection shows wild eye

ins in my thoughts, s

it up from an

ess. The sound of champagn

my eyes

to shed

m they c

ways an afterthought and never quite enough-it all comes tumblin

stomach as I try to muffle a sob with my hand. My shoulders are trembling. My t

just standing there, quaking a

sound of

rozen i

ng up next to me. I catch my breath and feel m

re me, silently off

here's a part of me that holds back, but I still re

bother l

ca

of cedar and some dark notes-spicy, dude-like, and not what I'm used to. I take a deep

blink a couple of times to s

raig

I go ahea

p a l

me is a man who

eam. He has a sharp jawline, straight nose, and ful

t me, calm and

st time in my l

ked and not

hill go do

nse his warmth surrounding me, and I see the confidence in

ly go out now.

lets me do

along, and suddenly I feel his heat, his powerful arms h

s got me in his arms, super gentle but also making sure I'm

losed my ey

ecure in

, but as soon as I figured out wh

ddenly, feelin

ean to, sorry

in his gaze. "You don't ha

g up my neck. I don't wait f

on my

va

****

's

his room is off the charts-gold chandeliers shine warmly over the polished marble, as laughter and gentle conversatio

is supposed to be perfect and I have

't stop thinking

br

ust looking around. He looks like he's looking for someone. My stomach knots up while I watch h

t who he's tr

hey must

thing, the one everyone overlooked, but somehow she finds her way into places she shouldn't be. I had a feeling this would happen- The fool is da

r time. My heels tap gently on the marble floor while I maintain a calm look and s

h voice and a touch of playful amu

; his thoughts are off somewhere else, and for a frustr

closer to me. I say in a friendly tone, "Why d

pau

d, not even long enough to take it in, b

eck and getting him back on track. I see him looking back at the hallway, and the

fortable again. Gabriel now seems far

self hold

s to st

o to reac

looking super graceful with her red lips turned up in a che

tell her softly, my words

raight face, but I

oing to be an

ion. A quiet word to the right ear. An instruction that was given. A

rtlessly, with just a li

er dad is sear

se, she

dn't she

om, and the door clic

comes next with

ed frown as she calls out, 'Father?'

cond g

ano

osphere

soon. She'll make a face at the strong odour, instinct kicking in before she even

won't

nerves are going

, making it tough to inhale and rough on her throat. She'll try

the party

t get hear

gives

oying the fizz on my tongue while kee

ize she's gone when i