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“Thank you,” I finally manage to say, my voice so low it’s almost a whisper. “I… I
think I needed to hear that.”
“We all do, from time to time,” she says, her eyes softening as she reaches out
to squeeze my arm. “So, whenever you find yourself doubting your worth or
questioning your place in this world, remember this: You belong here, just as
much as anyone else. And no amount of criticism, sabotage, or petty rivalry can
take that away from you.”
I nod. “I’ll try to remember.”
Vanessa’s eyes then flit between me and Karl. “And, I must say, it’s a wonderful
thing to have a boyfriend who stands up for you like that,” she says.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtEnter title…
Both Karl and I sputter almost in unison. “Oh, we’re not—”
“—together. We’re not together,” Karl finishes, his eyes darting nervously over to
me. I’m aware of how red my cheeks are, and I quickly look away.
Vanessa’s mouth twitches into a knowing smile, her eyes glinting with a kind of
playful mischief. “My apologies, then. It’s not my place to make assumptions.”
“Still, it’s pretty awesome to have such a good friend,” she continues, looking
squarely at Karl. “Someone like that is hard to come by. Hold onto him.” She
winks at me, her eyes twinkling.
As Vanessa starts to drift away, I find myself looking up at Karl. He’s staring
back, and there’s a softness in his eyes that makes my heart melt even though I
was on the verge of scolding him for causing a scene like that.
“I’m sorry, Karl,” I find myself saying for reasons unknown to me.
He tilts his head, his eyes searching mine. “Why are you apologizing? You did
an amazing job today, Abby. You were professional, articulate, and honest.
Everyone at the restaurant was watching, and they’re just dying to see you.”
His words help to soothe away my unease. But still, I can’t shake the feeling that
I’ve inconvenienced him—and everyone in this studio, for that matter.
“You didn’t have to confront Daniel. I didn’t want to drag you into my petty
drama.”
“It’s not ‘petty drama,’” he says. “And besides, I wanted to. You think I’d just
stand around and let some dollar-store chef bad mouth you?”
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm“Thanks,” I say with a soft chuckle. “But you really don’t need to do stuff like
that. I’ll try to handle my own emotions in the future.”
Karl rolls his eyes, a playful gesture that sends an unexpected ripple of warmth
through me. “Well, too bad. I’ll do it anyway. Until the day I die.”
His words send a pleasant shiver down my spin, and I find myself looking away
again to hide the blush in my cheeks. From across the room, Vanessa’s eyes
meet mine, and I almost think I see her wink.
“C’mon,” Karl says, gesturing for me to follow. “Let’s head back to the
restaurant. There’s a surprise waiting for you.”
I nod, and begin to follow him toward the door. But then, I freeze, remembering
something.
The flowers, still on the floor, right where we left them. Updated at
And as I walk back to meet Karl, the bouquet serves as a reminder:
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