Page 123 of Sweet Heart

I nod and grab the phone from her with trembling fingers. On the screen is the goth kid with a big wall of books behind him. The video was posted late last night but already has over nine thousand likes and six hundred comments.

“It is,” I reply, a little stunned. “But how would they know? They weren’t…”

“Let’s see, amor.”

Cat presses play before I can object, before I can turn this into something big or scramble back and say it’s probably nothing. She slides next to me under the covers as she holds out the device so we can both see it. I curl up against her automatically, and her free arm comes around me to pull me into her as the boy starts talking.

“Hi, fam, another day, another blessing. Today, I was invited to a book reading by an unknown-to-me author. Their contact at the publishing house knows me very well, and she said this was definitely one to keep an eye on. And let me tell you guys… she was right! Just watch this.”

I suck in a sharp breath as my image appears on the screen. I am reading the part where Paidi is all alone, and her three guides come to speak to her as spirits for the first time. It is only a few sentences, but he happened to pick out the strongest ones. The hair on my neck prickles, and my mouth drops open.

“This is only a small bit, but, guys, she freaking slam dunked that reading. Let me tell you… this author… she is so bright, so honest, so sincere. I haven’t seen anything like that in a long time. So, let me tell you what my friend told me… Mary van Achthoven—sorry if I said your name wrong, babes—is an author you want to keep your eye on.”

He grins as he looks directly at the camera, almost as if he knew I would see it. And again, I feel that connection, that intensity. He did see me.

“And even better, fam… her book Child of Snow comes out this fall, and you can pre-order it now. Just click the link below or check my bio. And just to be clear, I have not been paid or rewarded in any way, shape, or form for creating this video. Everything I said reflects my personal opinion. Mary, we’ll talk soon.”

He winks and salutes.

“Bobby Blackwood out.”

Cat and I sit in silence for a while as the screen goes black. Then she slowly turns toward me and lets out a soft huff.

“Well… that’s… something.”

Right on cue, her phone chimes, and I instantly reach for mine when I see the incoming message.

06:28 a.m. – The Sixers – Carmen

Did she see!?

The screen flickers on, and my eyes go even wider. My palms instantly become so sweaty that the phone nearly drops from my hands. Cat raises a questioning eyebrow, and I turn the screen toward her.

1,459 new followers

2,100 new comments

591 new shares

389 new message requests

The air around me feels thin, and I grasp at the sheets while I try to catch a full breath. Catherine immediately pulls me against her chest and puts the phone out of reach. Her arms come around me, and she presses her lips against my temple.

“Slow down, baby,” she hums against my skin. “You got this. They’re just numbers, and you are no longer doing this alone. We’ll get out of bed. You’ll take a shower while I make coffee and breakfast, and then we’ll call your agent.”

She kisses me again and then squeezes me a little.

“Oh, Maria… it’s starting, amor. Este es tu momento.”

Chapter 44

Cat

My muscles protest slightly when I shrug out of my coat. I wonder when that started. I used to be able to move all day. Run from surgery to surgery, go to the gym, and end the day dancing until morning light, without feeling a single thing. How things have changed.

I pull on my sneakers, throw on the doctor’s coat, and fish my phone out of my pocket while I make my way to the break room for some coffee. I am just in the middle of adding a reminder to pick up some magnesium and Vit C when I feel a presence next to me. All the tension I had shed over the weekend immediately comes rushing back. My fingers curl around the device, my molars grind into each other, and my shoulders draw up, all before she even speaks.

“Doctor Durand,” Alex purrs, her voice low and husky. “You look like you had a nice weekend.”