Page 65 of The Edge Of Us
"Mamaaaa!"
I scooped her into my arms, pressing a kiss to her warm forehead. My hands shook.
And then Allen started walking toward us.
Each step was heavy. Measured. Like he was afraid of scaring me off.
"Corine," he said, voice low, eyes flickering to Astrid. "She's... gotten so big. "
I held Astrid tighter, my jaw clenched. "What are you doing here?"
He swallowed, visibly trying to gather himself. "I saw the interview. And I thought it was good idea to stop by and see the kids, since I was also in New York ."
My heart stopped.
"I didn't come to ask for anything. I just... I wanted to see you. And the kids. I miss them."
I should've screamed. Should've told him to leave. But Astrid reached toward him with a little laugh, recognizing the man from old pictures and distant memories.
"Dada?" she said.
And just like that, the strength I'd built cracked a little at the edges.
Allen's eyes filled. He didn't reach for her-thank God-but his voice broke. "Hi, sweetheart."
Brittany hovered protectively by my side, one hand on my arm. I didn't say anything. I couldn't.
I just held my daughter and stared at the man I used to love, unsure of whether to let him in or build the walls higher.
"I'm staying at the Carlyle," he added quietly. "Just for a few days. I won't bother you."
Then, like he knew I couldn't take more, he turned and walked away.
And I stood there, with my baby in my arms and a heart full of ashes, wondering if healing meant letting go completely... or finding a way to forgive the ghosts who still lived in the quiet corners of my soul.
Chapter 38
Corine
I was still reeling.
Seeing Allen at the Louis Vuitton show had knocked the breath out of me like a cold gust of wind through a broken window. I hadn’t expected it. I hadn’t prepared for it. I thought I had tucked that part of my life so far behind me that it could neverreach me again—not while I was standing in my power, striding down a runway in front of the world.
But his eyes had found mine, and everything I’d fought to bury—the tears, the screaming, the loss—came surging back.
I stared blankly at the wall of my penthouse, the soft lighting from the vanity casting a delicate shadow across the room. I hadn’t said a word since I got home, too overwhelmed by my own silence. Astrid was already down for her nap, curled up in her little princess bed after exhausting herself trying to apply my foundation with a fluffy brush earlier. Kyle was at pre-school. I had no distractions.
Except the ringing of the doorbell.
"Cor! Open up, I know you’re in there sulking!" Brittany’s voice rang through the hallway.
I pulled myself off the couch and walked over to the door, opening it to see her standing there, arms folded, sunglasses still on, and looking far too fabulous for someone who barged into people’s emotional breakdowns.
"You saw him," she said flatly, walking in without waiting for an invitation. "You’re spiraling. And I’m not letting you ruin all that damn progress we’ve made."
I didn’t say anything. My throat felt tight.
"You wanna cry? Cool. We’ll cry together for five minutes. But then we’re getting dressed and going out."
