Page 9 of Ever Mine

My name was scrawled across the front, and the envelope itself was sealed. Aside from it being expensive-feeling paper, the envelope was nondescript. I stepped away from the receptionist and headed to my office. Once I was enclosed inside, I slid my finger under the seal and tore open the envelope.

Inside, I found a monogrammed card. HTC. Beneath, a simple message was scrawled.

Ms. Blankenship

I have your notebook in my office.

You can come and retrieve it at your earliest convenience.

T-

Oh, God.

This was Thorne. It had to be. Hawthorne something-that-starts-with-a-T Cumberland. Thomas? Surely there were other names that began with that letter, but my mind was drawing a blank. Tad?

Focus, Addison, who cares what his middle name is!

I must have left my notebook at the bakery, and he found it before Kelsie had a chance.

Oh God!

Oh God!

That meant he had seen it. He'd seen all of my notes about my Regency story and all of my sticky notes with my admissions all over them.

Oh God!

Oh God!

This was terrible.

This was the worst.

I pulled out my phone and immediately sent an SOS to my sister.

Me: SOS!

Oliver: What's going on?

I glanced at the top of the screen. Awesome. In my haste, I’d sent my message to my sibling group chat.

Me: No, no, I just need Kelsie.

Me: This is just a Kelsie emergency, a girl emergency.

Henry: If it's about your period, we do deal with livestock. It’s not like we aren’t familiar with female bodily functions.

Me: Did you just compare me to livestock?

Me: You know what? Forget it.

Me: It’s not a period thing. It's something else entirely.

I flip over to a different screen and text my sister directly.

Me: Thorne has my notebook.

Me: All my notes.