I blinked at her. “I can’t,” I said. “I’m finally writing again. And I’m sure he’ll find someone to be the wife he wanted me to be.” I meant it. He deserved someone who wanted the same things he did and gave him the life he dreamed of. And I needed to figure out who I was on my own. Going back was never an option.
As painful as it was to learn about how Chris and I should have met all those years ago, there was one thing I knew for sure. In that other reality, I had made it as a writer and producer. I wasalwaysgood enough. It was about damn time I stopped letting anyone or anything get in the way of my aspirations.
I didn’t know what I was going to do yet, but I was ready to start.
On my own.
Scary? Yes. But also kind of thrilling.
Carol didn’t push. She shifted gears instead.
“Victoria and I were thinking we could take the weekend and go to Atlantic City. Get shit-faced. Are you in?”
I laughed despite myself. The mere thought of tequila made my stomach churn, the memory of last night still way too fresh.
“As fun as being your third wheel sounds, I think I’ll stay home and soak.”
She sighed dramatically. “I’ll reluctantly respect that.”
My phone buzzed on the table, pulling my attention. Iglanced at the screen and saw a new email notification. My thumb moved automatically, and I opened the email without thinking. Carol’s voice became a distant hum as she kept talking.
“If you change your mind, you can always come and meet us…”
But I wasn’t listening anymore. My eyes scanned the email, and my breath hitched as I read it:
“Dear Ms. Davis,
I loved your new script. Thank you for sharing. I’ll be in NYC on Monday.
Can we meet up for coffee and talk about the next steps?
Best regards,
Robert C.”
I stared at the message, my eyes narrowing to sharpen the words into focus. Was I daydreaming again? Was this a glitch?
“Dear Ms. Davis, I loved your…” I whispered the words aloud.
“Hey. Are you here?” My sister’s voice cut through the fog, snapping me back to the room.
I looked up at her, my mind still a whirlwind.
“I’m sorry. The strangest thing just happened.”Strangedidn’t even begin to cover it. My brain was spinning so fast that I could barely form a coherent thought. “I got an email from Robert Connell… about my new script.”
Carol’s brows furrowed. “Wow!” she paused. “I’m assuming that’s a famous person, right?”
I didn’t even register her joke.
“Where did he get my script?” I muttered, more to myself than to her. Maybe I could manifest things into reality, too.Thatwould be a superpower I would love to have. Before my brain could spiral into an unhinged train of thought, I noticed Carol suddenly edging toward the door like a kid sneaking out of class. Oh no. Nope. I knew that move too well. She was trying to make a quiet escape before I put two and two together. Too late.
“Carol?” I called out.
“Yes?” She froze mid-step, her hand half-reaching for the doorframe, caught in the act.
My eyes narrowed. “Do you know something about this?” The pieces were clicking together now, and they hadCarolwritten all over them.
“Nooo…” she dragged the word out.
