Chapter 31
Allen
The television buzzed softly in the corner of the room, light flickering across the dim walls of my once vibrant LA home. It had become more of a museum now—a place echoing with memories, filled with silence, and haunted by the shadows of someone I used to be. I wasn’t even paying attention, not really. The TV was background noise, like most things in my life lately. But then, I heard her name.
"Model Corine Holts spotted out with her children in downtown Charlotte. After almost two years of silence, she's finally back, looking better and stronger than ever—"
My head snapped toward the screen, and I swear my heart stopped. There she was. Corine.
Radiant. Holding Astrid in one arm, laughing as Kyle tugged at her coat, trying to show her something. Her long brown hair was pulled into a loose braid, and she looked—
Healthy. Whole. Alive.
I stood there, breath stuck in my throat. My hands trembled as I slowly lowered myself to the couch, unable to look away. My chest ached. She was really out there. After nearly two years of not knowing, of endless silence, I was finally seeing her again.
And she looked nothing like the broken woman I last saw when she signed the divorce papers.
"God," I whispered. My fingers curled into fists, pressing into my knees. "You're really okay now."
I felt something sharp twist in my chest. Relief. Guilt. Longing. Regret. It hit all at once. I had no right to feel this way—not after what I’d done, not after what I let her go through alone.
For the longest time, I told myself it was better not knowing. That disappearing was what she needed. But now I saw her, and I realized how much I had missed. How much I had lost.
.
Corine Holts' POV
I was just getting Astrid down for a nap when my phone buzzed on the nightstand. I gently rocked her for a minute longer, waiting for her breaths to even out, then laid her in her crib with her favorite elephant plush. Kyle was in the backyard with my dad, probably telling him another wild dinosaur story.
I picked up the phone and smiled when I saw the caller ID.
"Britt," I answered. "Hey."
"I’m out!" Brittany's voice rang on the other end, bright and full of life. "I did it, Corine. I freaking did it."
I felt tears prick my eyes. "You’re really out?"
"Yup. Stepped out this morning. I rang the bell, and Sylvia cried. Tate gave me one of his dumb poems." She laughed, then it softened. "I wanted you to be there, but I get it."
"I wish I could’ve been. God, I’m so proud of you. You kept fighting. Even when it hurt."
"You were my reason to keep going, Corine. Watching you rebuild, watching you come back to yourself… it gave me hope. I owe you."
"No," I whispered. "We saved each other."
There was a pause.
"Can we meet?" she asked. "Before I go back to LA? I want to hug you. Say goodbye the proper way."
I bit my lip, my chest swelling. "Of course. Text me the details. I’ll be there."
"You sure you're okay being seen again? You were all over the news today. I mean, girl—you trended."
I chuckled softly. "Yeah, my agent called. Said I’ve already been offered a spot at New York Fashion Week. It’s… overwhelming."
"You’re ready for this," she said firmly. "You’ve been through hell, and you came out stronger. The world needs to see the real Corine Holts now. Not the headline. The heart."
I closed my eyes, inhaling deeply. "Thank you, Britt."
"Anytime. And hey… maybe Jasper will be around too. Just saying."
I rolled my eyes, a smile tugging at my lips. "Bye, Brittany."
She laughed, the sound still full of mischief, then hung up.
I set the phone down, looking out the window at my childhood backyard. The sun was warm, the sky soft with the fading blue of late afternoon. My babies were safe. I was home. I was whole again.
And somewhere in LA, Allen Woods had just seen me on his screen.
I didn’t know what that meant.
But I was no longer running from myself.
This was just the beginning.