29
Felix
Angelica’s phonerang three times before she picked up, which was somehow the longest pause of my entire life.
Across the breakfast table, Kieran squeezed my hand.
“I have to do the right thing,” I said, before I could lose my nerve.
“I know,” Angelica said without missing a beat. “Already wrote up a letter for you.”
“I’m so sorry,” I said, thinking again of how this was going to affect Angelica. She’d believed in me from the beginning, and now I was letting her down. “I know this isn’t ideal for you.”
“Felix,” she said, in the kind of tone that would’ve madeanyonesit up and pay attention. “Thisisthe right thing. I’d be disappointed if you rewrote that book. I’m proud of you.”
“But you kept telling menotto,” I said, confused. “We had this argument like half a dozen times.”
“I was wrong,” Angelica said. “I couldn’t see it before, how important it was, and I’m sorry. I always knew the pushback was wrong, but I didn’t seehowwrong until…”
“Until your nephew came out,” I finished for her. Of course
“I don’t want him living in a world where people like you get told to be quiet. And Iespeciallydon’t want him living in a world where youdoshut up when people tell you that. You’re a good man, Felix. You can tell Kieran that from me if you’re still planning on begging him to forgive you.”
Kieran grinned across the table at me, squeezing my hand again.
“He, uh.” I paused to clear my throat. “Already forgave me. I don’t think I could go through with this without him. I’m not as brave as you think.”
“Sweetheart, you’re braver than most people evenwantto be,” Angelica said. “And I’m sorry I ever doubted you. But Iwillget you through this. Want me to read you this letter?”
“I’d like that,” I said, smiling over at Kieran as Angelica cleared her throat.
I trusted her to say the right things. She’d always been in my corner—even wanting me to write this book differently in the first place had been an attempt to protect me, and I knew that.
I listened with half an ear as Angelica read out the letter, watching Kieran run his thumb over my hand, smiling softly at me.
My heart leapt when he mouthedI’m proud of you.
I was doing the right thing. I was sure of that.
I didn’t understand the technical things in the letter Angelica read out, but Ididunderstand the parts that were her putting her foot down—effective immediately, in accordance with, irreconcilable.
I’d have to remember it for when I needed to write a character like her. Shedefinitelydeserved to be immortalized in a book at this point.
“That sounds perfect,” I said, happy with the tone and assuming she knew what she was talking about with the content.
“It doesn’t pull any punches,” Angelica said. “But I don’t think it needs to. They’re the ones who chose toknowinglyput your ex in a position to control your career. We’re not gonna change the whole industry by pulling one series, but…”
“But we’re not taking it lying down, either,” I said. “Thank you, Angelica. You’ll always be my agent.”
“I do love offers of job security,” she responded, and for the first time since I’d dialed her number, I felt a little spark of hope.
Shedidn’t think this was the end. Or at least, she was willing to pretend she didn’t, for my sake.
“Hey, umm. Does it matter how that letter gets to them?” I asked.
“Not really,” Angelica said. “I can email it right now, if you want.”
“No, umm. I’d actually like… uh… if you don’t mind me dropping by, I’d like to take it to them. In person.”
