ffice tomorro

dry cleaning. Then he turned to walk away, the arrogan

I said, jogging after him in my six-i

with amusement. "Why? S

an-just in case

ked. "You want

red into the crowd like so

-

n the apartment greeted me at

on cold pizza. His PS5 controller clicked furious

the borrowed gown, smeared makeup,

s dress?" Adrian

st

s still in

That's a ten-thou

efend myself, but Adri

dy's stuff to

I snapped. "It was...

king? In a borrowed gown with

at gala, Adrian. Do you

Erica! You're just d

s hit li

blamin

You were supposed to fix it.

you actually worked instead of turn

lfriend's stuff again. And don't act li

him, my ch

wanted this?"

nk you've been screwing up since you were seventeen.

nce

through the

. "She was fine until she got

oat ti

some drunken party, and she-she die

dn't b

I didn't hear her. I turned and walked straight

-

ith guilt fo

k out to see a band no one even remem

by. I have a mig

nt a

ehind some food truck. A stranger called my mom. Sh

couldn't

eart attack. Said it

knew b

d becau

since-chasing deals, chasing hope, cha

-

, paired with a determined scowl. Nathan's tech

s walls, employees who looked like t

e me a look like I'd

see you shortl

ait

wa

wa

teen minutes, she final

probably cost more than my apart

-ceiling windows, plants I couldn't pronounce, f

here

bigger than my bed, in a charcoal su

my kingdom

r minions wait an hour

the ones who ghost

"Can we talk abo

anding. "Right after you

ed. "Ex

want my help? Pl

ned. "You invited me

mething," he said, leaning b

I sighed. "Fine. Wh

ading as a coffee maker sat surrounded by button

," he said

azer like I was

1: Too

2: Too

stes like betr

w it's just ho

ly hurled the cup

g the sixth cup down. "I don't want

ed to

lau

uel, madde

's going to invest in a dead com

fr

ha

es in New York. Every serious VC listens to me. You walk ou

s curled

ted

eded

, teeth clenched, r

ood and s

. " I don't like coffee anyw

at him, j

u-w

ith a grin. "You didn't throw th

ollowed him, muttering

was a bil

a sa

nly hope