What Once Was

By Ashley Bríon

Brokenhearted and spurned, Selene Latare was determined to start a new life in the bright lights of New York City.

 

Quickly rising to the top of the acting scene and becoming a famous theater owner and director almost overnight, she had everything she always craved – except love. When sexy firefighter Evan Gamble waltzes into her life, can Selene dare to hope that he might be the one thing New York can't provide?

 

Will he help her forget the ghosts of her pasts, the haunting of what once was? Selene is determined not to let her broken heart get in the way of her last shot at happiness, but will Evan see her in the same bright, sparkling light?

 

May contain dark themes and depression triggers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ashley Bríon
• Release date: Feb 6, 2024
• ISBN: 9798223899327

Ashley Bríon

Ashley Bríon is a 2013, 2015, and 2019 BA, MA, and MFA graduate in English and Creative Writing. Ashley has a long history of French and English heritage. She is bilingual speaking both French and English. She spends her free time gaming with her friends, acting, tap dancing, practicing yoga, and playing with her pets. Ashley embraces her love of history and different cultures through her writings, and is autistic and is a “social justice warrior” advocating for LGBTQIA+ and POC rights. Her favorite holidays are Halloween and Christmas and enjoys a cup of sake every evening. Follow her on all her socials and sign up for her monthly newsletter on her website. TikTok: @Jokergurl09 Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorashleybrion Instagram: www.instagram.com/@authorashleybrion Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/ashley-brion

Book preview

Dedication

To the theatre arts , past relationships, and all first responders: thank you. To all those dealing with someone who is nothing but petty and dangles your secrets over your head: you got this. Fuck em. Sometimes, you just need to get things off your chest in order to understand. Thank you to everyone who’s listened to my story.

A special thank you to Kat Rivera Emery who helped me with this, and to her beloved fiancé, James Giberson, who tragically lost his life with many of his firefighter brothers on 9/11/2001 in the attacks on the World Trade Center. Rest in paradise James.

If you’d like some music to listen to as you read, scan the QR code for some New York City and Philly inspired hits along with a few Broadway favorites on Spotify!

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7kXs6lsXYm8i3VK5QHx7Wg?si=f4258100c5a74fc6

Chapter One

Selene looked at the crumpled, tear-stained photo in her hands. The homemade card with their picture was the last thing she had of a love gone sour.

Did this really just happen?

No, it happened two years ago, so why did it still feel like just yesterday?

She should’ve been over this by now.

But it just didn’t feel... real.

Selene felt numb, looking off into the distance, no feeling left in her body.

Most days she was ok. Other days, she was back to square one. And this was one of those square one days.

She threw the card to the side on her bed and slowly made her way through her lavish Manhattan apartment to get another drink. Looking out into the night beyond the glass wall of windows, she briefly examined the city twinkling below. Sounds of the city below thrummed through her apartment as she poured another carafe of her favorite sake out of her new automated warmer. Her heart was soothed by the sounds of cars, the beeping of horns, sirens of ambulances and police, and the laughter of tourists and other people reaching up to her on the top floor.

Instead of living in a penthouse on the Upper West Side after she amassed a fortune, she chose to have an apartment built on the top floor of the Martigues Theatre, the hottest and most popular theatre on Broadway, named for her favorite place in France. As far as she knew, she was the only theatre owner who lived above their theatre.

Taking her carafe and cup, she opened the French doors out onto the balcony. It was a warm September night, and she could smell the toxic bite of her sake and the mixture of asphalt and pizza below. Around the rail of the balcony her lilies had started to wilt and wither for the fall, but her Russian sage, Japanese anemones, and moonflowers were still bright and full.

Sitting her sake on the wooden table, she bent over to softly take in the scent of her purple moonflowers, soaking in the moonlight. Selene went back to grab her cup and rest on the railing to look at the hustle and bustle of the city below. Sipping on her sake, she went through the events of the last two years. It was the anniversary of the big break-up, an event seen by others, but not to her. A culmination of seven years of sweat, blood, and tears had led to her entire life being turned upside down. Back then, she had just come back from a successful trip to the newest and hottest comic con on the East Coast only to find out she was fired from her former job for a bullshit reason. Ha. Selene let out a small chuckle with her smirk, remembering the company got their just desserts after the owner was arrested for money laundering. She sighed and looked at the glittering night sky, the stars barely visible with the light pollution from below.

It was hard to believe two years ago tonight, she was back in her hometown, living with the love of her life and her wonderful dogs and cats. She remembered getting into a fight with him, but now she could hardly remember what it was about. What she did remember was the words maybe we shouldn’t be together if you feel that way coming out of her mouth, and him saying Yeah, maybe we shouldn’t. We’re done. After that it was nothing but begging and crying and pining for three weeks until he told her to get out, forcing her to move back in with her parents in their small town of Rockridge. Oh gods, why did I say that for? She thought. If she had just kept her mouth shut, they would still be together.

Maybe. Possibly.

She tried to remember that whirlwind of a month, but the PTSD of the time shut her brain down. Each time she asked him why he was leaving her, he came up with a different excuse. Tears started to well up in her eyes as she remembered the pain, the walls she had built around herself had crumbled for him, only for him to take advantage and destroy what was given to him. She may never know the real reason why Dorian tore her heart to pieces, but at least she was better off without him and his scheming narcissism.

Am I?

Her phone started blaring, breaking her out of her trance.