Page 202 of His Reckoning

By the time my phone buzzes again, I’ve walked farther than I intended, or maybe exactly as far as I needed to.

I pull it out this time.

Melissa: Did you actually do it?

I stare at the message for a second before I type back.

Me: Yeah.

The reply comes almost immediately.

Melissa: They’re okay with that?

A quiet breath leaves my chest.

Me: Not really.

That’s putting it lightly. My publisher didn’t yell or get outwardly angry, but I could hear it in her voice.

“This is your strongest work, Kayla.”

“I know.”

“You don’t want to even revise?”

“No.”

“We can’t promise to hold your place if you walk away from this.”

“I understand.”

And I did. I still do.

My phone buzzes again.

Melissa: And you’re still sure?

I don’t hesitate.

Me: Yes.

Because that’s the one thing I don’t question, not even a little.

I slide my phone back into my pocket and keep walking, my steps slowing slightly as I reach the edge of a park. The noise of the city fades just enough to make everything feel clearer.

Which is dangerous because clarity means I can’t hide behind movement anymore.

I step onto the path and follow it without thinking, the gravel crunching softly beneath my feet.

I should be panicking about the book, my career, the fact that I might have just lost my publisher, and that I have no place to live.

But I’m not. Not really.

None of that feels as heavy as the look on Sawyer’s face when he realized what I’d done.

I swallow hard.

I stop near a bench and sit down, leaning forward slightly with my elbows on my knees.