“In case you really want to know,” Leah continued, each word landing like a blow. “Red was for moments I thought I might get to introduce you to Darren this weekend. Because I knew you liked him. I knew you based Lucen on him. I thought it would be a nice thing for you.” Her voice cracked with anger. “Clearly, that backfired.”
“You encouraged me,” Emma shot back. “Youliterallyshoved me at him.”
“Yeah, because I thought you were grown-up enough to handle it. In case you forgot, I also told you to be careful. Not to freaking hard launch within thirty-six hours of meeting him.”
“That photo was never meant to happen!” Emma snapped, frustration flaring.
“Maybe not. Hell if I know. What I do know is that everything you’ve done since has been like watching a train wreck. You think I enjoy seeing that? Seeing you destroy everything we’ve built, and yourself too in the process?”
Emma let out a jagged, involuntary sound, half sob, half snort. “Well, if I’m so toxic, maybe you should just drop me as a client.”
Leah’s voice roared with fury. “Get over yourself! You’ve made a goddamn mess, Emma. But don’t you dare just lie down and wallow in self-loathing.Fix it.”
Another bitter laugh tore out of her. “Yeah. Tried that. It’s already too late. With Darren at least.” She wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. “Guess we’ll see just how much my lovely new reputation will damage my career. Good thing I didn’t quit my day job.”
“Emma, for god’s sake—”
But Emma couldn’t listen. She cut through the room, unable to bear the exasperation in Leah’s voice or the weight of her own accusations still hanging between them.
“I’m going out.”
“Out where?”
“Anywhere. I need some air.”
She shoved past, snatched a cap on her way, and stormed out.
The slam of the door shook the walls behind her.
Chapter 41
Saturday night. City streets. The faintest light in the dark.
The night air hit her like a splash of cool water—shocking, cleansing, and still nowhere near enough. Emma turned down the sidewalk, Comic-Con cap pulled low. She walked fast, as if she could outrun the echo of the fight.
San Diego’s streets had gone quiet, the daytime frenzy finally burned out. Laughter drifted faintly from a bar. A boy on a skateboard rattled past. Beyond that, only the hum of traffic and the call of a lonely seagull broke through the silence.
Emma didn’t know where she was going—only that she couldn’t stay where she’d been. If she could, she’d have walked right out of her own skin.
She kept turning corners at random until the hotel was far behind. Neon signs blinked, their fractured light skimming across the pavement. She passed a food truck where the smell of street tacos lingered, sweet smoke tangled with salt air.
It made her think of the ones she should’ve had with Darren earlier. Before everything unraveled.
Her legs carried her forward—restless and angry, too desperate to stop.
She veered around a chalkboard propped on the sidewalk, blue letters curling across it—then stopped short. She stepped back to take a closer look.
Midnight Book Club:
The Bonds of Light – Tonight at 11:30
Spoilers welcome. Emotions encouraged.
The surprise yanked her out of her dark spiral.
Of course she knew about these book clubs. Fans used to send her pictures from them, little pockets of shared joy in the world she’d created. She’d even visited a few. But she hadn’t known about this one.
The window display revealed a narrow, old-fashioned bookshop.The Bonds of Lightdominated the front table in carefully arranged stacks, flanked by other titles she’d seen featured at Comic-Con.
