One Night

Chapter 123

Audrey

The summer passed by without another hitch. True to Edwin’s word, I didn’t see or hear from Linda or Leo for the remainder of the summer. My internship flew by in the blink of an eye, one successful project after another. I was assigned a new mentor since Leo was gone, one who didn’t scheme to hurt me.

In fact, I even garnered some respect from the designers, and the other interns stopped hating me so much. Apparently. Linda had been making up lies about me, which was why they had all been so cold. But with her gone and the truth coming out, things got a whole hell of a lot better.

But, also true to his word, I didn’t see Edwin all summer. Not so much as a whisper of him. Those moments in the utility closet were the last I saw of him.

My friends and I spent the summer basking in the sun, grilling, and playing in the backyard. We would have some plan or another every weekend, everything from attending concerts to holding water gun tournaments-in which Betty eventually arose as the undefeated champion-to barbecues filled with the scent of smoked meat and cold beer.

All in all, it was an idyllic summer; late nights catching fireflies in mason jars, reading in shafts of sunlight, sewing in my little attic room.

But my favorite days were the ones we spent at the lake. The cool water was a welcome respite from the summer heat, and I loved floating on my back, staring up at the endless blue sky overhead.

Every time we swam, though, I couldn’t help but look in the direction of Edwin’s cottage. It remained dark and silent, no sign of life within its walls. He didn’t even seem to be staying there anymore.

I often wondered if I should go knock on his door, just to see if he was there.

But I never did. Perhaps it was for the best that I didn’t.

As the summer drew to a close, I finished up the final week of my internship, receiving a generous stipend for my work. To celebrate, my friends and I decided to throw one last huge party. Everyone would be there; everyone we knew from friends to coworkers to acquaintances, and even the neighbors on our block had been invited.

And so, on a warm August evening just two weeks before I went to Paris, our summer home had been transformed into party central. Fairy lights t***ed in the trees, music pulsed through the air, and the scent of grilled food wafted from the backyard.

I wandered through the crowd, a cold bottle of beer in hand, feeling a mixture of varying emotions. There was excitement for my upcoming trip to Paris, where I would finally reveal the design I had been working on all summer on the side. There was a tipsy glee from the buzz of the party.

But there was also an undeniable melancholy there. Because, no matter how much and how often I tried to drown my emotions in water gun fights and lounging in the sunshine, I still missed him.

Edwin.

Part of me, a naive and wishful part, had hoped he would come. I had, after all, invited all of the interns from the program. I supposed I had imagined that he would catch wind of the party and would show up, even if only for a moment.

But he hadn’t

Suddenly, I felt an arm drape around my shoulders. Edwin, I thought, as if on instinct. But I looked up to see Gavin standing over me, his expression unreadable in the dim light. I tried not to look disappointed; it wasn’t that I didn’t want to see Gavin, it was just Thad been hoping to see Edwin there.

13:03 Wed, Sep 18

Chapter 123

“Hey, Audrey,” he said, his voice low. “Can we talk for a minute? In… private?”

My stomach clenched with worry. Gavin hadn’t brought up his feelings for me all summer, not since the last time we had talked about it, and parties like this seemed to be the prime location for old hangups to crop up. I hoped we wouldn’t need to have another awkward conversation about it.

But still, I shrugged. “Sure.”

Gavin led me away from the crowd, toward the small shed that sat in the corner of the yard. As we stepped inside, the sounds of the party grew mu**ed by the array of extra folding chairs and dusty garden tools.

Once the door was shut firmly behind us, Gavin suddenly turned to me, his expression fierce. He grabbed me by both shoulders, and I almost stumbled back, stunned by our sudden proximity.

“Gavin, I don’t—”

But instead of trying to kiss me like I feared, Gavin’s hands rested gently on my arms. His eyes met mine, serious and

sincere.

“Audrey, I know about you and Edwin,” he said quietly.

1 felt the blood drain from my face. “What? I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I stammered, but Gavin shook his head.

“I could see it that night at his cottage,” he explained. “The way you looked at each other… it was obvious you’re in love.”

“Why did you…” I swallowed hard, looking away as if that would somehow hide the deep red flush to my cheeks. “What does this have to do with the party?”

Gavin simply shrugged. “I know you’re looking for him tonight Aren’t you?”

For a moment, I felt my heart pulse in my chest. “Why?” I blurted out, turning toward the door. “Have you seen him?”

I reached for the doorknob, but then stilled. Oh. I knew what was happening. Turning slowly, I was met with Gavin’s quirked eyebrow, his hands now on his hips.

I waited for the judgment, the disappointment, but it never came. Instead, Gavin smiled softly.

“I’m happy for you,” he said, pulling me into a hug.

Stunned, I just stood there, my arms slack like two wet noodles at my sides. “You’re not… upset?” I breathed.

Gavin chuckled, releasing me. “How could I be? Edwin looked at you like you were more valuable than any of those expensive collectibles in his house. It’s clear the love isn’t one-sided.”

I felt tears p***k at my eyes, and I quickly looked away again. “It’s not so simple, I’m afraid.”

Gavin loosed a small sigh. “I know. Trust me, I know.”

There was a long silence after that. The party raged on outside, wh**ps and cheers filling the air as someone won a game of comhole. But I felt worlds away at that moment, the party nothing more than a backdrop of white noise.

“Gavin, L. thank you,” I finally whispered. “For understanding. I was so worried you would be angry or disappointed. That that is who I’ve been pining for all this time. My… professor.”

“Why would I be angry?” he c**ed his head. “If you two care about each other, then who am I to judge? Just don’t get hurt, that’s all. I’m here for you.”

I couldn’t contah myself. I hugged Gavin tightly again, squeezing him so hard it almost sounded like he couldn’t breathe. “Thank you, Cavin. Thank you.”

13:03 Wed, Sep 18

Chapter 123

We rejoined the party, and-it felt as though a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. The rest of the night was a whirlwind-dancing, drinking, singing, playing games.

As the party wound down in the early hours of the morning, my friends and I found ourselves sprawled on the back lawn, looking up at the fading stars. The grass was cool beneath us, damp with dew, and the crickets were finally beginning to quiet down now that dawn was on its way.

+6

We had sobered up by now, and should have been in bed. But sleep seemed too far away for any of us; just one last night like this, one last summer as college students before we started our senior year.

And then, we would be leaving this world behind and starting our new lives as adults with full-time jobs and bills and real responsibilities.

And those moments in the utility closet would become nothing but a distant memory for me.

“I can’t believe summer is already over,” Tina sighed, one arm propped behind her head.

“It went by too fast.” Betty shook her head. “Way too fast.”

Gavin groaned. “I don’t want to go back to school. I could use another month of this.”

1 propped myself up on one elbow, smiling at my friends. “Hey don’t be like that,” I teased. “We’ll still hang out. We’ve got plenty to look forward to in the fall semester.”

My friends murmured, nodded, and shrugged in agreement

But Avis sat up suddenly, her expression serious as she turned to look at us. “Actually, guys… I’m not going to Grayspring this

semester.