Fragile Desires (18+) (GxG)

Seventy-Three | Pretty Eyes

Failure feels like a chipped nail after getting a fresh manicure—a small imperfection that throws the whole thing off.

As a child, I was obsessed with having everything perfect.

My room had to be spotless, my horse riding form flawless, and my grades impeccable.

Anything less felt like a personal catastrophe.

One summer afternoon, I spent hours painting my nails a vibrant cherry red due to my love for cherries.

It was for a garden party, a chance to impress all the other royals and wealthy teens my age.

But as I proudly presented my nails to my mother, catastrophe struck.

I bumped the white table, sending the nail polish bottle clattering to the floor and leaving a glaring, uneven white streak across my perfect red nails.

Tears welled up in my eyes, threatening to spill over.

But instead of scolding me, my mother chuckled and told me—

True beauty lies not in perfection, but in the story the imperfections tell.

Her words calmed me, and together we fixed the chipped nail.

The red wasn't perfect anymore, but it was mine, a unique mark that spoke of my carelessness and, more importantly, of my mother's love and patience. 

Now...

Nothing felt perfect anymore.

And this was all much bigger than a chipped nail.

This failure is life-altering.

And not in a good way.

- Azzy

♛Chapter Seventy-Three: Pretty Eyes♛

The world pulsed behind my eyelids, a throbbing headache blooming behind them.

A groan escaped my lips feeling the rhythmic hum of a car engine vibrate through my pounding skull.

I tried to open my eyes, but my lids felt glued shut.

Panic clawed at my throat as a sliver of light pierced through the darkness around me.

And just like that, I was blinking my eyes open—wincing at the blinding sunlight filtering in through the tinted windows.

My vision swam, taking a moment to focus.

Plush leather seats, a sleek dashboard, and the unmistakable scent of a new car wafted around me—yet, I don't recall getting in a car?

And just like that, memories flooded back in a dizzying rush: Elle's office, the plan that I completely ruined, and Elle's unsettling emerald eyes gazing into mine as she lifted me into her arms.

And then... nothing.

"Easy there, Azura," a familiar voice said softly.

I whipped my head towards the source, my heart pounding frantically against my ribs.