Page 25 of The Mirage Guild

“You know when I was traveling, there was this constant sense of movement and discovery, and every decision I made was my own. There were no guide rails. But after years of that, I craved some kind of anchor, a sense of place and direction. I thought coming back to the city, being surrounded by these familiar walls, and living under my parents’ roof again would offer me that. A moment where someone might just hand me a roadmap or even gently nudge me down a path.”

“. . . But?” Max asked, urging me on.

I chuckled. “But . . . that’s not really how life works, is it? No one is just going to start telling me what to do. I’m gonna have to actually figure it out myself.”

“I know that whatever you figure out is going to be amazing. You’ve got to just stop overthinking it so much. Just let go and see what happens,” he said.

“Yeah, maybe,” I said as I bit into the chocolate and took a small sip of the port. My eyes closed as the flavors exploded in my mouth. It was dreamy.

I didn’t know what would come next between me and Max. Or if I’d just royally fucked up our friendship or working relationship. I didn’t know if or when Dom would find out or if it would ever happen again. But, oh, did I want it to happen again.

Instead, I let this gorgeous man in front of me lull me with his nerdy knowledge of the flavor profiles and grape origins as the lights twinkled above and soreness in between my legs reminded me of what we’d just done.

ELEVEN

ISABELLA

I stared at my buzzing phone, a headache forming at the base of my skull and a callus forming at the base of my right heel. The brightness from the screen momentarily blinded me, and I squinted at the name Natalia - Bora Bora Babe. The nickname I’d given my best friend during my extended island vacation had stuck.

Natalia - Bora Bora Babe: Back from paradise! Let’s grab some lunch and spill the tea xx

I snorted. Spill the tea, indeed. The only thing I longed to spill at the moment was my entire body into a hot bath. Between all my late shifts at the Prism Society, stressing about the upcoming event, and, oh god, last night.

Max.

There was tea to spill there. Not that I was ready to divulge what was going on between us. Not that anything was going on between us. After we’d sampled the port with the chocolate and Max had made his final decision for the wine list, I’d claimed to be tired and ushered him out of my parents’ front door.

Then, I’d laid in bed for hours, replaying every single second that had passed between us down in the cellar. The way he’d taken charge as soon as he knew what I’d crave. How he knew exactly how and where to touch me. How he spoke to me.

I let out a deep sigh and groaned as I rolled over. My thighs were tender from where Max had gripped them last night. But even with a headache, sex soreness, and massive overthinking anxiety, I wouldn’t turn down getting together with Nat.

I had missed her these last few weeks. I couldn’t wait to hug her sun-kissed shoulders and hear all about her time in Bora Bora. I held my phone up to my face so I could unlock my screen and fired off a text.

Isabella: Yesssss, can you meet today? I could be at Buvette in an hour.

I got an enthusiastic slew of emojis from Nat, and the plan was in place. Before pressing the lock button on my phone, I saw I had another text waiting for me. I tapped the green bubble with the red alert and couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face.

Max: Good morning, beautiful. Remember to drink extra water today. See you later at work.

Max. Well, there goes my plan to pretend like nothing happened between us. There goes my assumption that he regrets last night. Like it or not, the thing between me and Max was definitely going to need to be figured out.

But for now, all I had to do was get myself out of this bed and into the shower. If only I could float over to the hot water instead of having to use my feet.

Exactly fifty-three minutes later, I pulled open the glass-paned door of the cozy and charming French-inspired café that Nat and I loved. My stomach growled as soon as I smelled the fresh bread and coffee wafting through the small dining lounge.

As my eyes wandered the vintage furnishings of Buvette, I remembered the first time Nat and I had stumbled upon it during our prep-school days. Nat had been the one to discover it after ditching a particularly boring art history class, and I, always the diligent student, had been coerced into joining her. The two of us had spent hours here, giggling over hot croissants and plotting our future globe-trotting adventures.

Luckily, Nat knew I would need the caffeine and fuel. I smiled at the French press of rich coffee and a plate of croissants already waiting for me at a back corner table where Nat was sitting. Natalia and I had practically been joined at the hip since prep school.

I remembered my first day roaming the echoing halls, feeling like a fish out of water. Even though it had been Nat’s first year as well, she somehow looked like she belonged the second she walked through the doors. Her attitude was fearless, and my energy was different. Nat, with her sun-streaked hair always pulled back in a messy bun, her uniform skirt a tad shorter than the rest, and her mischievous green eyes, had me hooked from day one.

By the end of our first week, we’d pinky-promised never to leave each other’s sides. And over the years, we’d kept that promise. We had navigated boy drama, academic challenges, and the school’s strict dress codes.

Nat had introduced me to the thrill of adventure, dragging me on impromptu trips to secret spots around the city, sneaking into concerts, and even making the drive out to Penn State just to make out with some boys. Nat was my person. It was Nat who gave me the confidence to purchase that one-way ticket almost ten years ago that kickstarted my travel adventures.

I slid into the booth next to Nat and snuggled into her side, craving the warmth of her skin. Nat threw her arms around me and squeezed tightly, kissing the top of my head. After our hug, Nat scooted back to lean against the wall as she turned to face me. I slid my ankle under my knee and picked up my coffee cup.

“Being back in the city looks good on you, Iz,” Nat said as she sipped her coffee.

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