Honestly? I got in touch with her because I thought you were dating her and I couldn’t stand it. Especially because you and I had no real closure.It was making me crazy. So I’m not proud of it, but we met to discuss you. Which, speaking of which, what were YOU doing there? Were you two dating?
Not dating per se. She was obsessed with me, Simone.
What do you mean, obsessed? In what way?
In the obsessed way. She reached out to me after attending a Darlings meeting. Asked me for help with her novel. I acquiesced, although I was very busy with the end of my tour and also reeling from your betrayal. She would not leave me alone. I made a grave error by going to her house to work with her, and she seemed to think we were in a romantic arrangement. Perhaps I should have been more blunt, but she was so vulnerable, I was afraid to hurt her. Do you know what I mean?
Yes. I saw it too. She was on serious meds.
Her antipsychotics. Yes. And the cats.
I didn’t meet the cats.
Count yourself lucky. They are a nightmare. The best thing that could happen to those poor creatures is to be shipped off to a sanctuary in Hawai’i. Cyndi’s house was a hoarder house. She was very unstable. But also tenacious. She pursued me hotly. When she begged me to come to the Hawthorne, I stupidly went. I thought maybe I could make it clear to her that I was interested in her as no more than a helpful editor. I got there minutes before you did. You know the rest.
Yes. I’ll never forget it.
Nor I.
...
...
Hi, Simone.
Hello, William.
I have missed you.
Have you?
Yes. I’ve been haunted by you.
Well. That’s nice. I feel the same. But your ghosting me made it hard to tell.
I did not ghost you, Simone, if we must use juvenile vernacular. I stepped out of our relationship out of self-preservation. Perhaps I overcorrected, and if so, apologies. But I was angry and bereft over your carelessness. Do you know how badly you hurt me with that book idea? Do you feel any repentance? Have you thought more about your decision?
... What decision? I thought we were done.
Whether we are done or not depends on your decision whether to write your book. Your so-called thriller.
...
No answer, Simone? Wrong answer. I’d better get back on the road. I’m at a rest stop to have this conversation, but I see it’s perhaps not worth my time.
Wait! William. Stop. Sorry, I was processing. I didn’t know there was any possibility left for us. This is new information for me. And I want to respond mindfully because this is such a fraught topic for both of us.
True. Take your time. I’ll wait. Respond wisely.
I’m not working on that book right now.
How do you feel about that?
... I don’t know.
I feel relieved, Simone. It means you’ve taken that thriller idea out behind the barn and shot it. It means you’ve learned the difference between empty equivocating and meaningful action. It goes a long way toward repairing us. But I also hate the idea of you not writing.
Me too. Thanks.
