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“Sort of.”

“It’s something else, isn’t it?”

“Maybe.”

“What?”

“Am I wrong?”

She’s quiet for a long time. At first, I think she didn’t hear me, but she finally speaks.

“Are you asking if I think you should harbor anger in your heart and go after the person who hurt you?”

“Yes.”

“You already know my answer to that, Jess. You already know what I’m going to say.”

“Have you ever had an enemy?”

“Lots of them.” She says this as casually as though she’s talking about how she brushes her teeth every day. “But I don’t let them get under my skin. I think you need to ask yourself what destroying Toni Ventris’ company is going to do. Is it going to give you back the time you’ve lost? Is it going to help you heal and move forward? Or will it just be one more step you take to hurt her as much as she hurt you?”

“Why does it sound so simple when you ask me like that?”

“Because it’s a simple problem,” she says. Her tone softens. “Listen, you can do what you want. You’ve got the power. You want to shred that little bitch? I’ll have your back every step of the way, but I think you need to ask yourself whether this is going to give you the peace you need to move forward. I don’t think that it will.”

“She really did a number on me, Ash.”

“Then show her you’ve moved on. Show her that she can’t hold you back. You’ve got a bone to pick, and that’s fine, but you aren’t going to win the breakup by being a dick right back. You win the breakup by succeeding without her and by living your life to the fullest.”

“Thanks, Ash.”

“Anytime.”

After the call ends, I pace in my office for what feels like hours. Maybe she’s right. Maybe I have this whole situation totally wrong.

Maybe it really is time to move on.

3

Toni

There’s nothing like an early-morning jog to clear the air.

Max and I make our way along our usual route. We head four blocks south of the house before we veer left. Three more blocks, a right turn, and then we’re at Raven Park. It’s one of the best places in town to spend a morning because there are playgrounds, walking trails, and of course, a path for running and jogging.