Chapter 150

Christina's POV Three days after my birthday celebration with Hudson, I was supposed to meet Ysolde for lunch at noon. By eleven, she still hadn't mind-linked me, which was strange. She usually sneaked into my studio hours early, stealing my coffee and complaining about the temperature of her frosting. I crossed the street to Sugar & Whim. The door creaked open, letting in a blast of cold air that swirled around my knees. The shop was too quiet. Then I heard it - muffled sobbing from the back, punctuated by painful whimpers. Stepping over piles of wood boards and torn cardboard, I found her curled up on the floor. Her jeans were covered in dust, her face streaked with dirt, and her eyes were red and puffy from crying. She hugged her knees tightly to her chest, her entire body shaking like a wounded animal. "What happened?" I rushed over. "Ysolde! Why are you on the floor? Did the contractors bail again?" She wiped beneath her nose with the back of her hand, her voice so hoarse I could