Page 76 of Bound By Crimson
“You said signage?” Lyric asked, stepping into the center of the room.
Cameron nodded. “Yes. We’ll need to finalize the font and branding for the sign out front. Any ideas?”
Lyric looked around, at the beams, the rawness, the sunlight.
Then she whispered it, barely audible.
“Lyric.”
Cameron smiled. “Simple. Elegant. It works.”
Lyric stepped toward the windows, her fingers brushing the dusty glass, eyes scanning the street beyond.
For the first time, it didn’t feel like a fantasy.
It felt like the beginning of something real.
And somewhere deep inside, a small voice marveled,
Oh my God... this is happening so fast.
She felt like Cinderella.
Only this time, she wasn’t just wearing someone else’s gown.
She was building something of her own.
Chapter Twenty-One
The Night Before
The boutique was perfect.
It smelled like fresh paint and new beginnings. Every mirror gleamed. Every hanger was spaced just right. The walls were soft ivory, warm against the brushed gold racks. Her designs hung like pieces of herself—pressed, tagged, and waiting to be chosen.
Lyric walked through the space slowly, fingertips grazing the edge of a shelf, the curve of a mannequin’s shoulder. She moved in a kind of hush, as if speaking too loudly might wake her from whatever dream she was standing in.
Callie leaned against the counter, arms folded, watching her with a small smile.
“It’s stunning, Lyric.Youdid this.”
Lyric turned to her, her chest too tight to answer. Instead, she just nodded.
Callie seemed to understand. “Take a moment. I’ll wait outside.”
The door clicked shut, and silence wrapped around her like velvet.
She walked the shop alone—barefoot now, her heels abandoned by the wall.
The soft thud of her steps echoed off the floor.
In her mind, she saw flashes of where she’d come from: A small town, the creaky floors of Velora’s shop, the smell of incense and mothballs. Long days spent behind the counter, wondering what to do with her life. Not being able to afford college. Barely scraping by.
She’d never imagined this. Not really.
She stood in the center of the room and turned slowly, arms folded over her chest.
Her name was on the window now.
