Chapter 56 Audrey

I opened the door to find Tina standing in the hallway, leaning against the wall. Grinning, she pushed away from the wall and strode into the room with her clothes in her hand. She shut the door behind herself and walked over to the vanity to get changed. "So, when are you going to tell us who that mystery model was?" she asked pointedly, wiggling her eyebrows at me as she slipped her shirt off.

I felt my face flush, and I quickly waved my hand in an attempt to look nonchalant. "Oh, just... no one. Someone who responded to my flyers."

Tina's grin widened, causing my face to redden even more. "Uh-huh. Sure. Well, anyway, we're all heading out for drinks while we wait for the final results." She paused, jumping a bit as she hiked up her pants. "You're coming with us, right?"

I hesitated for a moment, glancing back toward the door that Edwin had just disappeared through. Part of me wanted to stay, to see if he would come back and we could finish what we had started. But he was gone, and besides..

That would never happen. Not again. Bad idea.

"Yeah, sure," I said finally. "Drinks sound great.

With that, we gathered the rest of the team and headed to the academy bar. The place was buzzing with energy, filled with other teams and models who were also celebrating after the show. The air smelled like cigarettes and whiskey, and the music was pumping so loud that the bartender could barely even hear us as we ordered a round of drinks

Once we had our drinks in hand, we found a table in the corner where it was a bit quieter, although it was still pretty deafening.

"To Team Audrey!" Avis cheered over the din, raising her glass.

"To kicking a** and taking names!" Betty added with a giggle.

We all clinked our glasses together, laughing and grinning. As I took a sip of my c**ail, I felt the tension from the show slowly starting to melt away-although it was quickly replaced with anxiety over what the final results might turn out to be.

"I still can't believe those scores, Tina said, shaking her head in disbelief and causing a frizzy red lock to fall into her eyes. "We even got a perfect ten from the last judge."

"It's all thanks to Audrey," Betty said, nudging me with her elbow "Your designs were amazing. Audrey, really."

"And we couldn't have had a better, more proactive team leader, Gavin added.

I felt my cheeks grow warm beneath their praise. "It was a team effort. I couldn't have done it without all of you."

to feel pleasantly buzzed when suddenly, someone bumped into our table hard,

watch it!" Avis called out, but the flash of

Linda Tina asked, craning her neck to try and spot

it wouldn't have surprised me if it was. She had been disqualified from the

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Chapter 56

my bag, which had taken the brunt

unharmed. But then

dark red wine, the intricate pattern I had spent days working on barely visible beneath the dark splotches. "What's that?"

stuffed the scarf back into my bag, tears misting over my eyes. "Nothing." I lied. "I... I need

my

room without waiting for a response, quickly rushing over to the sink. With shaking hands,

rinse it under the water But it was no use.

scarf. I had spent two days and nearly all of last night making it, pouring all my gratitude and... other feelings... into every stitch. And now it was ruined before I had even gotten the chance to give it

breaths, trying to compose myself. It was just scarf, I

so much

focused on trying to hide my tears that I didn't notice the

that it was Edwin who was standing there. He had removed his disguise, now wearing his usual sweater and tweed jacket. His hair was

What's wrong?" he asked, leaning closer to get

the scent of alcohol on his breath only adding to my own sense of drunkenness. "Nothing is

narrowed. "What are you hiding behind your

"It's nothing, really-

Edwin reached around and gently took the scarf from my hand. He held it up in the dim

happened to this

embarrassment. "It... it was supposed to be for you," I admitted. "As a

expression softened. "You

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