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With his encouragement and time passing, I felt like I was getting closer to my old self again. Because of Erica, I had proven to myself, and the newspaper, that I could still write. While they weren’t my usual romance pieces, the mini mysteries I wrote each week were bringing a new audience to the paper. It was like a breath of fresh air to try my hand at a different genre, and to be accepted so enthusiastically in the field of journalism. My book fan base had caught wind that I was writing for the newspaper now, and to my surprise, their reviews were positive.
My confidence was building again. There was no denying that I was a writer. It was in my bones. I knew I had to get back to it someday. It might be sooner than later.
When I wasn’t writing mysteries, I was still trying my hand at a few chapters for a new book. The words came easy with Troy as my inspiration. My last book was inspired by heartbreak, and this book was inspired by new love. It was sweet mixed with dramatics and passion, much like our relationship and how it started.
I didn’t want to get my agent’s hopes up just yet, but she knew I was working on something. I told her I just needed to write without the pressure of deadlines or book titles and cover choices. I wasn’t sure I wanted it to go anywhere, but I had so much inspiration from my own life that I had to get it out on my keyboard.
Troy was to thank for that.
I looked toward his office and my mouth pulled into a small pout. I missed the hell out of him. He had only been gone a few days, and still had a few more days left of his retreat. From what I had heard from him early this morning, it wasn’t going well. He didn’t go into details, and I didn’t want to pry. I knew he would tell me when he got back. Whatever was going on between him and his father wasn’t good.
I was just happy he wasn’t shutting me out. We were past that. We opened up to one another, the good and the bad. That was what love was, and I couldn’t believe I had it with him. I could still hear the words falling off his tongue like a whispered melody I couldn’t get out of my head. I smiled as they floated through my mind.
Suddenly feeling inspired, I was just about to open the latest chapters of the novel I was working on when I heard the quick pace of heels on the marble floors coming down the hallway. I braced myself for Kathy and whatever urgent matter she deemed necessary to dump on my desk, although I would be happy for something to do to make the time go by faster. I looked up and saw it wasn’t Kathy, but Veronica.
“Oh, thank God,” she said dramatically, putting her hand to her heart when she saw me.
I sucked in a breath. Her hair was disheveled in a way I never thought the amount of hairspray she used would allow and her eyes were bloodshot. Her black trench coat hung off her shoulders, revealing her protruding collarbones. She looked worse than I had ever seen her. I almost felt bad for her, until I remembered everything she had done to me. To Troy.
“What doyouwant?” I asked coolly, leaning back in my chair.
“Oh, Monica! It’s just awful,” she sobbed.
“What are you talking about?”
“Haven’t you heard?”
“What?” My voice was losing its edge due to curiosity.
“Troy has been in an…accident.” She cried out the last word.
My stomach sunk to the bottom floor of the building and landed with a thud onto the lobby floor.
“What are you talking about?” I asked, my eyes searching hers for any answers.
It had been a few hours since I had heard from him, but I figured it was because he was in conferences or meetings, or dealing with his father. The last thing he had texted me was to have a good day and that he loved me. I wondered if that would be the last thing I would ever hear from him. The thought made me sick.
“You need to come with me,” said Veronica insistently, placing her palms on my desk as her eyes bored into mine. I could see the tears threatening to fall.
Instinctively, I grabbed my purse from the floor and gripped the desk, pulling myself unsteadily to my feet. Veronica nodded impatiently as she looked down the hall. Her hands were shaking as she pushed the tangled strands of hair from her face. I was about to reach for her, try to calm her down even though I was anything but calm, but then a thought struck me.
“How do you know he’s been in an accident?” I asked, my brow raising.
She whipped her head toward me. The emotion I saw just moments ago was replaced by a flash of annoyance that caught me off guard.
“I’m still his emergency contact,” she snapped, before bursting into tears.
I nodded. Right. Maybe Troy had forgotten to change that after they had divorced. It seemed strange, given they had divorced years ago. I would have thought he would have put Erica at the top of his list. But right now, I didn’t have time to question it. No matter how I felt about Veronica, I knew I had to push my feelings aside if I were going to get to Troy.
“You have to come with me,” she pleaded, reaching out for me. “The accident…it’s bad. Really bad.”
“Wh-what happened? Is he okay?”
“Just come!” she said, her voice shrill.
Without any answers, my head was flooded with thoughts of crunching metal of cars and smoke from the private jet blackening the New York skyline. My vision was going in and out of blackness.Not Troy. Please,I begged. I thought I was going to puke. My legs threatened to give out. I had to get to him. I just hoped I wasn’t too late.
Veronica looked around the office impatiently as I tried to will my feet to move. It felt like they had weights attached to them, making my movements slow. As I rounded my desk to follow her, she gave me a quick nod and grabbed my hand, pulling me to follow. Everything was a blur as she led me through the office and into an elevator. I could have sworn I heard Kathy call out my name from her office, but I couldn’t be sure.