Total pages in book: 151
Estimated words: 140874 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 704(@200wpm)___ 563(@250wpm)___ 470(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140874 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 704(@200wpm)___ 563(@250wpm)___ 470(@300wpm)
“Which is why I’m telling Sophie now.” India was still sore over the Elwood & Stern take-over of the magazine where she’d made a name for herself. “I’m leaving to agent full time.”
“Whoa, whoa.” I held up my hands. “I’m not sure I’m comfortable with—”
“You’re not my only client. Don’t be absurd. You made a healthy advance, but not enough for me to live on.” She looked both ways up and down the alley, as though the police would be waiting to snatch her up, then reached into her purse and pulled out a gold cigarette case. “I’ve got two other clients, and an offer from a former colleague to join her agency.”
“Congratulations,” Neil said smoothly, while my jaw hung open.
India Vaughn, leaving Porteras? She was a legend in the office. She’d been there for years.
Then again, Gabriella Winters had been a legend, too.
“Sophie, you look like you’ve swallowed a bug,” India said with a roll of her eyes. “What’s the problem?”
“Nothing. Nothing at all.” I laughed and waved my hand. “I was just thinking of how weird it is, with you leaving the magazine.”
“It’ll take some getting used to, but I’ll manage,” she said, with the kind of gruff cheerfulness I’d finally come to understand. “We’ll talk about it later. For now, enjoy your night, debut author.”
In the car, I snuggled down in the plush seat, torn between never wanting to move and considering actually leaning down to unbuckle my shoes. But I knew if I took them off now, I’d never get them back on my swollen feet to go up to the apartment.
“When does ‘debut’ author wear off?” Neil asked with a chuckle as the car pulled away from the curb.
“Why? Am I being a debut authorzilla?” Too quickly, my brain made a leap in association, from “authorzilla” to “bridezilla,” to the promise Holli had made me vow before our falling out. I’d been charged with not letting her become a “bridezilla.” Now we weren’t even speaking to each other.
“I did like the revisions to the kettle scene.” Neil leaned his head back and closed his eyes. “Thank you for making me sound so gallant about your wanton destruction of my kitchen appliances. And the wiring.”
Tears rose in my eyes, and I blinked them back, grateful that he wasn’t looking at me. Unfortunately, he heard them in my voice when I said, “Hey, no problem.”
He opened his eyes and looked down at me. “Oh, Sophie. What’s wrong?”
I shook my head. “Just emotional, you know. Highs and lows. Revisiting stuff from the past that reminds me of how hard it was.” I shrugged to pass off my non-answer. “And you know… Holli didn’t show.”
“I was hoping that in all of the confusion and excitement, you wouldn’t notice until you’d had a good night’s sleep.” He reached out and brushed his thumb over the tear track on my cheek. “She’s not over your fight. But that doesn’t mean she’ll never be over it. Good friends can have incredibly painful separations and still heal.”
“Says the man who’s still besties with his ex.”
He chuckled. “This may come as a shock to you, but Valerie and I haven’t always been civil to each other. We worked very hard at being friends, for Emma’s sake, but after we separated, it was understandably difficult. It took time to become genuinely close, to really consider each other friends again. If Holli did come into your life again, do you think you would be fully recovered from the hurtful things she said?”
“No, I don’t suppose I would.” I didn’t want to talk about it anymore. “Why didn’t things work out with Valerie?”
“Ah, the patented Sophie Scaife deflection technique,” he said with a wistful smile. “Fine. Because you’re tired, and because I’m impressed that you haven’t asked before now, I’ll allow it.”
He stretched his long legs out and got comfortable before continuing. “I cheated on her.”
Of all the things I was expecting to hear—that they had simply grown apart, that they weren’t compatible, that they were just too young—that one possibility hadn’t entered my mind. I had never in my life considered Neil capable of something so reprehensible.
“What… Why?”
“There isn’t a good reason.” The fact that he sounded actually remorseful helped keep visions of future heartache from prancing through my head. “Our relationship was never perfect. I’d slept with her brother, after all. When we started dating, I never intended it to be anything permanent. When we decided to keep Emma, I thought she would be enough to make me stay. I thought I would grow to love Valerie, to really love her, and I did. But not in a way that either of us wanted.
“There was a woman at my father’s office who was very attractive, and when I was in Reykjavik on business, I…slept with her. I pursued, I initiated, and it was the most selfish and immature thing I’ve ever done.” He watched me, wary. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before, but I’m still terribly ashamed of my conduct, and I can’t bear to have you think badly of me. Which is possibly the third most selfish and immature thing about me.”