I’ve never felt like this before. This all-consuming, ironclad sense that Alex is my person. That he’s the one. It’s thrilling and terrifying all at once. Yes, there’s still a small voice in the back of my head warning—Don’t let the media catch you. Don’t ruin everything you’ve worked for—but at least for now, I’m not letting that fear overpower me. It’s just one of the many emotions swirling through my brain as I roll over and mush my pillow into a more comfortable shape. Beyond the nervousness, there’s joy, confusion, excitement, and most of all, utter, utter exhaustion. I snuggle further into the blankets, thinking of Alex’s dimple, and chic sportswear, and soft snow, and before I know it, I’m drifting off to sleep.

TWENTY-FOUR

After I moved back home, Leah thought it would be hilarious to sneak into my phone and change my alarm to her voice, so I wake up at the crack of dawn in Switzerland to the sound of her voice saying, “Unni, time to wake up! Unni, time to wake up! Unni, time to wake up!” on an endless loop.

I groan, fumbling for my phone to turn off my alarm. As soon as Leah’s voice is quieted, I go to check my notifications—then realize what I’m doing. I was about to check my messages from Alex, like I do every morning. But there are none, because he’s in the room next to mine and could just knock instead. I’m exhilarated at his proximity, but things still feel… unsettled. Once you think you know for sure that someone is your person, what do you do next? I feel the enormity of it start to sink in again, but I don’t have time to linger on what it all means. I’ve got a photoshoot to get to.

I roll out of bed to get ready. We need to be on the mountain super early, before the mild September air turns the snow to slush. In the mirror I see heavy, dark bags under my eyes. Damn it. The makeup artist is going to have a field day trying to cover those.

On my way to the shoot in the car that Discipline arranged for me, my phone lights up with a text.

Sunhee: Rachel, I saw that story in REVEAL about Alex… Are you okay?

I sigh at the mention of The Article, as I’ve started to think of it in my head. But I’m pleasantly surprised about Sunhee’s support. After all, someone who callously sold me out to a tabloid probably wouldn’t bother to check in on me, right? I start to type back, but I’m interrupted by a flurry of incoming texts.

Sunhee: Are you going to come forward with the relationship?

Sunhee: Does DB know?