The Day Our Promise Breaks (Charles and Evelyn) novel Chapter 301

Evelyn knew Brooks was more than willing to splurge on her, but she just couldn't, in good conscience, dump her responsibilities onto him and have him shoulder her load.

Brooks didn't push it, nor did he reclaim the spare card. "Keep it handy, just in case."

Evelyn accepted it and tucked it into her wallet, but she had no plans to actually use it.

That evening, Evelyn whipped up a cozy dinner with three dishes and a hearty soup. After they ate, Brooks headed into the kitchen to tackle the dishes.

Evelyn leaned against the counter, watching him. "Hey, Brooks, I need a favor."

Hearing those words lifted Brooks' spirits, sweeping away the earlier disappointment when Evelyn had turned him down. Even though he understood she wasn't wrong, it still stung a bit how she kept such a clear boundary between them. It was a reminder that he hadn't yet made his way into her heart. To her, he was still someone to appreciate, not someone to have feelings for, let alone love.

Brooks’ eyes sparkled. "What do you need?"

Whatever she wanted, whether or not it was doable, he'd bend over backward to make it happen.

"Could you help me get my designs over to Mabel?"

Ah, Mabel. The city's socialite extraordinaire.

She was the fashion queen of the city. Anything she wore or any jewelry she flaunted could instantly become the next big thing.

She rarely opted for big-name brands; most of her jewelry came from up-and-coming designers she discovered. Her keen eye meant any designer she took a liking to would quickly gain recognition in the fashion world.

Every year, on her birthday, she would extend an olive branch to a designer. From eighteen to twenty-five, every designer who’d been lucky enough to create her birthday outfit and jewelry had carved out a niche in the design world.

Because of this, every birthday saw a throng of designers vying for her attention.

This year, all eyes were on Dahlia.