“I’m gonna be okay.” My voice shook and I cleared my throat. “I can do this.”
“You sound like you’re trying to convince usandyourself.”
I tried not to let my lip tremble. He was very right.
Mitch brushed his hand on Joey’s shoulder. “She’ll call us if she needs us. And even if you don’t, I’ll be checking in on you at least. That book won’t write itself.”
“Right. My job that Ilove.” I sighed and Mitch frowned. “How could I forget?”
When I first started writing romance novels as a teenager, it was the thing that kept me going. Then I grew up and published them, and it became my career. That was the reason I could afford anything.
I did love writing, but lately, it felt like a dream I would never achieve. Somewhere along the way, writing had become a chore and not a passion. Nothing inspired me to put words on the page.
It didn’t help that some of my fans saw it too. They knew I was a fraud. They knew I’d never been touched and was just dreaming.
That was another reason I had to do this.
“You’re the one who decided to move while in the middle of writing your next work,” Mitch reminded me.
I’d seen the apartment and jumped on it, but it had been perfect when I found it.
Plus, it was way cheaper than I expected.
My second-floor apartment had its own door around the back of the building. I had my own parking spot, and the two units in nearby buildings weren’t lived in.
If I wanted to people-watch, as I usually did, I had two windows facing the square where I could see what was going on without being in the rush of things.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime deal, but I would have to get to work if I wanted the novel to be done in time. Mitch might have been my friend, but he didn’t accept excuses as my agent. He’d also gotten me some very nice book deals, so I wouldn’t complain.
“I’ll get it done. Don’t worry.”
“I amveryworried,” Joey said.
I rolled my eyes. “That’s just your usual, Joey.”
He gasped, putting a hand on his chest. “How could you?”
“It’s simply the truth.”
“Yeah, yeah. Just like I know another truth. If you’re suffering here, you’ll try to handle it on your own.”
“Who, me?” I scoffed. “I’m an open book.” They both gave me a flat stare. “Fair enough. If I struggle, I’ll call.”
“And you’ll remember to eat three meals a day?”
I let out a sigh. My habit of forgetting to eat was not something I needed to be reminded of. Each question made me feel less and less confident in my decision. “Yes. I’ll do my best. You guys got me plenty of food.”
My fridge and cabinets were stocked with a month’s worth of groceries. I should be fine while I settled in. I was determined to do everything right, and that included not forgetting to eat.
“Air hug time,” Mitch said. “Just like we practiced, Joey.”
“I know how to air hug,” he griped. “It’s the leaving that’s the issue.”
We put our arms in the air in the only hug I could give, and shortly after, Mitch dragged Joey out of the apartment.
I was left completely alone.
The only sounds were my own breathing and the ambient noise of the square below me. After a few breaths, I slowly turned around and took it all in once more.
