She sat on that bench for hours, watching the carnival slowly empty as it got later. Families left first, kids exhausted and cranky, then couples and groups of friends. Eventually, some of the vendors began packing up their stalls.
The lights began going out one by one, the carnival transforming from bright and cheerful to dark and slightly eerie.
Around midnight, Ruby finally stood up. Her legs had gone stiff from sitting so long and she walked slowly back toward the hotel, dreading seeing the hurt in Celeste's eyes that matched her own.
But maybe they could talk and—what? There were no compromises here. No middle ground between hiding and being open or a way to make this work when they wanted fundamentally different things.
Still, Ruby owed Celeste a conversation instead of just walking out.
The late-night desk clerk barely glanced up as Ruby entered the hotel lobby and crossed to the elevators. The hallway was quiet, most guests already asleep or still out enjoying the night.
She opened the door to their room and immediately knew something was wrong. Celeste's suitcase was gone and the stuffed animal Ruby had won for her—the alligator—sat on the bed, abandoned.
On the nightstand was a folded piece of hotel stationery.
Ruby's hands shook as she picked it up.
Ruby,
I'm sorry. For everything. For violating your privacy, for asking you to hide, for not being brave enough to give you what you deserve.
I was lucky enough to find an empty seat on the next flight back to Cheyenne Valley. By the time you read this, I'll probably be in the air.
The car is yours to drive. Just drop it off at the rental place whenever you make it back.
Thank you for the best week of my life. I mean that. You showed me what it feels like to be alive and to let go of control. You gave me something I didn't know I needed.
I hope Jonas Ford appreciates your talent as much as I do. I hope you take the chance. You deserve success, Ruby. You deserve everything.
I'm sorry I couldn't be brave enough to deserve you.
—C
Ruby read it a couple of times, then she sank onto the bed, still holding the note, and finally let herself fall apart.
Celeste was gone. She had left without saying goodbye and there was no point in continuing the festival without her.
Tomorrow Ruby would have to drive back alone and along the way, decide whether to email Jonas Ford. She would have to figure out how to put her life back together when it felt like everything important had just walked out the door.
But tonight, she just let herself cry. For Celeste, for herself, for the future they'd never have. And for the week that had been so perfect it almost made up for the ending.
Almost.
Chapter Nineteen
Celeste
The sun was yet to rise when Celeste's plane landed at O'Hare. She’d texted her mom from the airport in New Orleans, exhaling shakily as she typed:Coming home early and taking the midnight flight.
Her mother had called immediately, concern evident even through the phone. “Honey, you were expected to return in a couple of days, on a road trip no less. Is everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine. The trip ended early, that’s all, so I decided to book a flight.”
The pause on the other end made it clear that her mother wasn’t convinced by her reply. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. I just need to come home.”
“Alright. The kids are already asleep so don’t worry about picking them up on your way home. Be sure to stop by tomorrow, but only after you’ve gotten some much-needed rest.”
