It should have been overwhelming. It should have sent me running back to my room to hide under the covers.
Instead, I just felt... happy. Terrified and overwhelmed and completely uncertain about the future—but happy.
“Come on,” I said, tugging his hand. “Let’s go inside before Gladys actually shoots someone.”
“Good call.”
We walked back toward the cabin together, hand in hand, ignoring the shouted questions and the clicking cameras and the chaos that would probably follow us for weeks.
On the porch, Gladys was grinning.
“Thank you,” I told her. “For everything.”
“Don’t thank me. Thank the cat.” She nodded toward the window, where Purrsephone was watching us with her mismatched eyes, looking insufferably pleased with herself. “I bet she’s what brought you two together.”
Samuel laughed. “We should get her an agent. She’s clearly got a talent for matchmaking.”
“She’s got a talent for meddling,” I corrected. “There’s a difference.”
“Same result.”
Somehow, Samuel’s agent beat us inside. Sabrina was on her phone, but she looked up as we entered. Her expression was calculating, already spinning.
“Samuel, that was incredible. The footage is already everywhere. If we can—”
“You’re fired,” Samuel said pleasantly.
“Excuse me?”
“Fired. As in, you no longer represent me. As in, please leave this cabin and don’t contact me again.” He smiled. “I’ll have my lawyer send the paperwork.”
Sabrina’s face went through several colors. “You can’t fire me. I made you.”
“You exploited me. There’s a difference.” He nodded toward the door. “Goodbye, Sabrina.”
“You ungrateful son of a bitch!” A lock of peroxide blonde hair fell over her eyes. Then she left, slamming the door behind her hard enough to rattle the windows.
The cabin was finally blissfully quiet.
Purrsephone jumped down from the windowsill and wound between our ankles, purring loud enough to be heard across the room.
“So,” Samuel said, pulling me close. “What now?”
“Now,” I said, “we figure out the rest of our lives.”
“That sounds terrifying.”
“It does.” I kissed him. “But I think we’ll be okay.”
Epilogue
Farley- One Year Later
The party after the release ofThe Fire Beneath the Frostwas exactly as excessive as I’d expected.
Crystal chandeliers. A string quartet. Waiters circulated with champagne and tiny, architecturally improbable appetizers. The type of Hollywood party that would have made me break out in hives a year ago.
Tonight, I was almost enjoying myself.
