"Technically he just chewed on it."
"Piper." Sage reaches over and squeezes my hand. "Whatever you decide, make sure it's becauseyouwant it. Not because you think you should want it."
I stare at my phone for another long moment.
Then I open my messages and type:
Me: Devon, I'm turning down the reality show. But I want to pitch you something else. Call me when you have time.
I hit send before I can second-guess myself.
My phone rings approximately thirty seconds later.
"Are you serious?" Devon sounds genuinely shocked. "Piper, this is life-changing money."
"I know." I step out onto the porch, needing the cold air to keep me focused. "But I've been performing my entire life. Every post, every story, every carefully curated moment—it's all beenfor other people. For engagement metrics and brand deals and proving I'm worth paying attention to."
"And that's a bad thing?" He sounds genuinely shocked.
"When I don't even know who I am without it? Yeah. It is." My breath fogs in the morning air. "I came to Alaska to figure out who Piper Meadows is when she's not performing. And I'm not done with that yet."
Devon sighs, long and heavy. "So what's your plan? Live in a cabin and post moose photos forever?"
"Actually..." An idea that's been forming since I arrived crystallizes. "I'm pivoting. Authentic content. No more perfectly staged photoshoots or partnerships with brands I don't use. Real Alaska. Real life. Slower. Honest."
"That's a hard sell in this market."
"Maybe. But it's the only thing I can sell and still look at myself in the mirror." I pause. "I'm calling it Grizzly Girl. Alaska lifestyle content, but genuine. Teaching people how to actually survive up here instead of just looking pretty in front of mountains."
"Grizzly Girl." He tests it out. "It's... actually not terrible. Very niche, though."
"Good. I'm done trying to appeal to everyone."
"All right." His tone shifts, becomes businesslike. "Send me a proposal. Target audience, content strategy, monetization plan. If you're serious about this, let's do it right."
"I'm serious."
"Then I'm in. But Piper? This better work. Because if it doesn't, I'm saying I told you so."
"Fair enough."
I hang up and stand there for a moment, letting the enormity of what I just did settle over me. I turned down a reality show. Life-changing money. Everything I thought I wanted.
And I feel lighter than I have in months.
When I come back inside, Sage is grinning at me. "You did it, didn't you?"
"Yeah." I collapse onto the couch beside her. "I completely changed my career path. No big deal."
"I like it. Very Lockwood of you—burning everything down and hoping for the best."
"Is that a family trait?"
"Oh yeah. We're excellent at self-sabotage and terrible at choosing the safe option." She wraps her arms around herself. "But sometimes the scary choice is the right one."
"Tell that to your brother."
"I have. Multiple times. He doesn't listen." She pulls out her phone. "Want to see the text Jax just sent me? He's relentless."
