Page 74 of Bound By Crimson
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They stopped at a tiny café after the third shop. Lyric’s arms ached from carrying samples, but her heart was buzzing.
She stirred her coffee, staring at the small pile of fabric swatches they’d gathered.
“You’re really talented,” Callie said casually, blowing on her cappuccino. “And I don’t just mean the sketches. It’s the way you look at fabric. You have instinct.”
Lyric looked down, embarrassed. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“None of us do at first,” Callie said easily. “You’re doing better than you think.”
Lyric let out a breath. “Sometimes I feel like... I don’t even belong in this world.”
Callie leaned closer, lowering her voice. “I once pitched a collection to a panel in Paris and forgot the name of my own brand halfway through. Froze. Completely blanked. They laughed me out of the room.”
Lyric blinked. “Seriously?”
Callie grinned. “Cried in a bathroom stall for thirty minutes. The next day, I got an offer from someone who’d seen my designs online.”
Lyric smiled, the knot in her chest easing slightly.
“I guess I’ve just... spent so long trying to be someone for someone else,” Lyric said quietly. “I forgot what it felt like to be me.”
Callie sipped her coffee and met her eyes—not with pity, but with something warmer. Something real.
“Well,” she said, her voice steady, “you’re doing a hell of a job finding her again.”
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They visited one final shop, arms fuller and heart lighter.
Her phone buzzed.
Kai’s name lit up the screen. She stepped onto the small balcony outside the studio, the city humming below, fabric samples still clutched in her hand.
“Hi,” she answered, smiling without thinking.
“Hey, baby,” he said, his voice low and warm. “How’s the fashion empire coming along?”
She laughed, the sound surprising even herself. “It’s... amazing. Callie’s been incredible.”
“I knew she would be.” A pause. “I have a surprise for you.”
Her heart skipped. “What kind of surprise?”
“You’ll see. I wish I could be there, but I’ve got to get back to a meeting. I’m sending Thomas to pick you up. He’ll be there in fifteen.”
“Oh,” she said, trying not to sound disappointed.
“You’ll love it. Trust me.”
She bit her lip. “Okay.”
“Text me when you get there. I want to hear what you think.” A beat. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
The line clicked off.
