Chapter 31

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The bouquet of flowers on my desk was beautiful

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The bouquet of flowers on my desk was beautiful. A blend of elegant lilies and pink roses scattered amongst an array of white gyp, all accompanied by a handwritten card.

You deserve the chance to live your dreams. I'm so proud of you. Love, Seb.

The words tugged effortlessly at my heartstrings because they were exactly what I needed to hear. Yet at the same time, exactly what I didn't.

Because they were from him.

It'd been nearly a month since our break up, and despite my best efforts, thoughts of Seb still managed to squeeze their way past my defenses. They would pop up at random times, whether I was washing the dishes, cranking out new designs, or falling asleep. Even here, in the boutique I'd worked tirelessly to get ready for tomorrow's official opening, my attention still veered to him. After all, he'd been the one to help me find this place back in January, and despite our distance the past month, every time I imagined kicking off tonight's celebration, Seb was in the crowd.

But that wouldn't be happening. In fact, his name on the card in my hand was likely the closest he'd come to being here.

A shaky breath escaped as I resigned myself to that fact. Resting the card down, I ran my fingers gently over the soft petals, my lips quirking upwards with fondness before I took a step back.

There was no need to dwell on Seb or the past. Especially not tonight. Tonight was about me and about welcoming what the future had in store. It was about celebrating what had once been a small idea, and after taking root, had blossomed into something incredible. It was about acknowledging that there'd been speedbumps along the way and knowing the difficulties I'd encountered had only made the result more rewarding.

It was about commemorating the official opening of Ever After—Boston's newest lingerie boutique. A place where all women would be able to find something to feel beautiful in.

"Knock, knock," Aimee said, pulling me out of my thoughts as she pushed open the door to my office. Turning around, I saw her poke her head in. "You almost ready?"

I nodded. "Ready." After shaking out the nerves that had begun piling onto my excitement and anticipation, I smoothed my hands over the front of my dress. A cream blazer rested on top of the figure-hugging, navy long-sleeve I'd thrown on over the latest lacy number in my collection. "How do I look?"

"Like someone about to conquer her dreams."

Returning her smile, I felt confident as I stepped out of my office, but wasn't prepared for the wave of emotions that washed over me.

Over the last few weeks, I'd spent practically every waking hour in the boutique, making sure everything was ready to go. I'd signed contracts with other local designers to carry their merchandise, had spent endless hours perfecting the window displays and mannequins throughout the store, and had even hired a spunky designer just out of college so there was an extra pair of hands on deck. I'd been aware of everything slowly coming together, each small piece important in the grand scheme of things, but seeing it now, my breath caught.

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