“Social media has tried to put us both in a box,” Sienna said. “And we let them. They made me the face of a movement, and you became the face of singleness, but we can be more than one thing, Elly. And you are more than just a vow you made on the Internet. You are a person, and people change.”
“Set my own parameters,” Eliana said.
“Exactly. And that may mean starting over. Or having people be mad at you. Or moving to Mexico for really great beaches and tacos. But make sure you’re doing what’s best for you and not everyone else.”
“Thank you.” Eliana took a really deep breath for the first time all day.
“Oh, before you go,” Sienna said. “Asher doesn’t happen to have a brother? Cousin? Cute, young uncle?”
Eliana laughed. “No, he doesn’t. But maybe that’ll be my next career step … matchmaking. I think it runs in the family.”
They hung up, and Eliana got out of her car, full of nervous energy. She had to figure out how to fix all of this.
A text from Grandma Winnie lit up her phone.
Winnie:Can you drop by my bungalow tonight? Soon?
Eliana:I can be there in ten minutes.
Winnie:Perfect. Thanks, dear.
Eliana:I love you, Grandma. It’s all going to work out.
Winnie:I hope so.
Eliana hoped so too. She needed to see Asher really quick first. He might not want to see her at all, not with the way she’d stormed out earlier, but she needed to give him the key to Julia’s apartment and grab Louisa May Alcott.
It was a testament to how upset she’d been earlier, that she’d left without Louisa.
The bungalow was completely dark. The doors were locked. She peeked in the open windows and saw that everything had been cleaned out. Louisa May Alcott was on the table in her habitat, safely tucked in her shell.
Where had Asher gone? His motorcycle was still there, so he had to be somewhere close. Her heart dropped. He’d done all of this without her?
She pulled out her phone to call him, then chickened out in the last minute and texted instead:
Eliana:Where are you?
No answer came, so she put her phone back in her pocket.
She backed away from the bungalow and headed to Grandma’s house, her mind full of Asher and what Sienna had said. Eliana didn’t want out of the social media sphere completely. She loved creating content and meeting new people and giving advice on how to be happy.
She was so involved with her thoughts, she didn’t notice the dark shadows surrounding her one by one as she approached the bungalow.
In fact, it wasn’t until one of them placed a hand on her arm—and she screamed—that she realized she was surrounded by six ninjas.
No. Grandma Winnie and her friends wearing all black, including black bandannas.
“What—?”
“Come with us if you want to live,” Walt interrupted in a low voice with a faint English accent. Then he whispered out of the corner of his mouth, “I’ve always wanted to say that.”
Eliana bit back a smile. Count on Grandma and her friends to turn an epically horrible day into something interesting.
“What if I don’t want to go?” she asked, just to see what would happen. Because, honestly, she was intrigued enough to go wherever they wanted. And besides, she had emails to avoid.
“I’m sorry about this, hon.” Grandma Winnie didn’t look sorry at all as she threw a linen-scented black pillowcase over her head and took her by the hands.
“It’s a good thing Don’s not here with his duct tape,” one of the women whispered, and Eliana had to agree as she found herself blindly marched across the beach, left with no choice but to let them lead her wherever they wanted.
