She Got 41 Tries, I Got Zero Seconds. So I Gave Myself a One-Way Ticket Out Chapter 01

She Got 41 Tries, I Got Zero Seconds. So I Gave Myself a One-Way Ticket Out Chapter 01

In front of the fitting room mirror, my best friend, Blythe Sorrel, spent two hours trying on 40 outfits.

My boyfriend, Auden Rusk, found a flaw in every single one.

“The neckline is too low. It shortens your neck.”

“The shoulders are too boxy. They make you look bulky.”

“That color combination looks cheap. It does nothing for you.”

Not a single piece passed Auden’s standards.

Then Blythe changed into the 41st outfit, and Auden finally snapped his fingers in approval. “That’s it. Perfect.”

As he said it, he bent down and started picking out shoes for her.

I stood up, chose a long dress, and changed into it. Then I looked at Auden, a small, foolish hope rising inside me.

“Auds, what do you think of this one?”

Auden did not even lift his head. “Looks good.”

Something in my chest sank.

A moment later, I silently changed back into my own clothes. The sales associate came over and asked, “Would you like to take that one, ma’am?”

I looked at Auden.

He was helping Blythe try on a new pair of shoes.

From the moment we walked in, Blythe had tried on clothes for two full hours, and Auden had watched her for two full hours. He had not stopped on me for even a second.

I stood half a step away from them, invisible.

After a long moment, I shook my head. “No.”

Then I lowered my head and sent a text.

[Dr. Ames, I’ll take the Global Relief Doctors assignment.]

***

Blythe opened her arms and rushed toward me in tiny, excited steps. A soft gardenia scent drifted over.

Her perfume.

Gardenia Rain. Auden wore Cedar Rain from the same his-and-hers fragrance line.

I had once asked Auden why he and my best friend were wearing matching scents.

He had laughed, tapped the bridge of my nose like I was being ridiculous, and told me it was just a coincidence. He said I was too sensitive, that being jealous of my own best friend was childish.

Now Blythe looped her arm through mine, still wearing that same scent. “Babe, Auds is so good at this. I love it.”

My smile stiffened.

No matter how many times I heard that nickname from her mouth, it still bothered me.

The first time I had asked her not to call him that, Auden cut in before she could answer.

“Bly isn’t some stranger. She can call me whatever she wants. Don’t make everything a problem,” he had said.

Bly.

I had frozen on that name.

Then his face had gone cold, and he had taken Blythe’s hand and walked away.

In the sunlight, their shadows leaned closer together while mine fell farther behind.

“Not picking anything?”

Auden’s voice pulled me back from the memory.

He looked at me as if he had completely forgotten I had already tried something on.

Before I could answer, Auden turned and walked into the women’s section. When he came back, he had an orange pleated skirt in his hand.

“This one,” he said. “It suits you. Trust my eye.”

I paused.

Auden was a top fashion designer. His eye had never been bad.

But when he chose clothes for Blythe, he stood in front of the fitting mirror for two hours and made her try on 41 outfits before picking the perfect one.

When it came to me, the whole process took less than 30 seconds.

He did not even bother letting me try it on.

Blythe stared at Auden, sounding faintly annoyed. “Auds, what is that supposed to mean?”

Auden blinked. “What?”

“You didn’t even spend a minute picking something for Tamsin, but you took forever with me. Is my body that hard to dress?”

“If your body were hard to dress, would you be a model?”

Auden paused, then said, “It’s because you have a great figure that I need to put in the effort. Otherwise, it would be a waste not to show it off properly.”

The next second, his gaze swept over me and returned to Blythe.

“Tam looks the same in almost anything. No need to waste time.”

I stood there, suddenly understanding.

Blythe was worth effort.

I was not.

My eyes dropped to the orange skirt in his hand.

“No,” I said. “I don’t want it.”

Back when we were still flirting, Auden had once spent hours picking out clothes for me. He had even reminded me that my skin had cool undertones and orange would wash me out.

But now, within the span of a few minutes, Auden forgot I had tried on a dress. He forgot he had tossed me a careless “looks good.” He forgot my skin tone, too.

My phone buzzed.

I lowered my head. It was a message from Dr. Ames.

[Tamsin, start preparing. The team leaves in two days. Any problem?]

At that moment, the sales associate’s eager voice reached my ears.

“Sir, your girlfriend is gorgeous, and she has such a beautiful figure. You clearly have amazing taste. You two make such a stunning couple.”

I lifted my head.

Auden was checking out at the register. Blythe stood beside him, close enough that their shoulders almost touched.

I stood off to the side.

Compared to me, she looked much more like Auden’s girlfriend.

The first time this happened, I had reacted badly.

“Auden, aren’t you going to correct her? I’m your girlfriend.”

Auden’s eyes had filled with impatience. “Tamsin, she’s a stranger. Why does it matter?”

I looked down and replied to the text.

[Dr. Ames, no problem.]