Page 105

Not the least of which are my plans to leave L’Aubergine. While going through my emails last night with Eli, I’d almost missed the one from Caroline. I’d spotted it right as Eli had flagged it for the trash folder—with good reason—the subject line saidCONGRATS!

I waited until late, after he was asleep, then guiltily pulled it out of the trash folder and read it.

Good news, Reese! Your offer on the condo in Sebastopol has been accepted! I’m sending the necessary documents to you now…

I’d nearly choked, reading it late last night, Eli snoring softly beside me. I hadn’t heard from Caroline over the past few weeks and assumed the deal hadn’t gone through. But of course, things had been underfoot as I was…what, having fun with Eli?

Now, with my fingernail back between my teeth, Sophie gives me a soft look, thinking I’m still agonizing over the blowback from the video.

“Eli and I are in a really good place,” I say honestly. “But given our past and”—I hesitate. Sophie knows how I used to avoid Eli like the plague, but she doesn’t know our relationship started as a ruse—“the uncertainty about the future, I don’t want anything to wreck that.”

Sophie smiles, sadly. “I think he just wants to see you succeed. Just like everyone else here. We all love you and want the best for you, even if it means you might leave us one day.”

“Oh Sophie,” I say, my lip wobbling. Anything will make me cry right now, but this kindness… I swallow hard. “Thank you.”

“By the way.” Sophie pulls a square of folded paper out of her pocket. There are two, one of which she hastily folds back up before coming over and handing me the other. “I was going to wait until you seemed okay with all of this, but honestly, it doesn’t seem like that’s happening. So now’s as good a time as any to give you this.”

I look down and suck in a breath. It’s a sketch of me on stage, my face looking exactly how I felt in that moment.

“Sophie,” I croak. Only, it’s then I notice I’m not on the stage at Bean There. This stage looks uncannily like Carnegie Hall. And Talia, Sophie’s daughter, has drawn stars over my head.

My eyes do fill with tears then.

Sophie looks mildly panicked.

“They’re happy,” I say, wiping them away and laughing. “I promise. Talia—she’s incredible. But you already knew that.”

Sophie beams. “She really is.”

“What’s that one?” I ask, wanting to keep the attention off me and my blubbering. I’m genuinely curious, anyway. Talia’s drawings are phenomenal.

Sophie looks down, her cheeks going pink. “Oh, nothing.”

I quirk a brow.

“She drew Rufus as part of our family,” Sophie says shyly. She shows me—Talia’s on a swing, and Rufus pushes her while Sophie watches on, daisies blowing in the wind around them.

My heart fills, and I open my mouth to tell her so, but just then, there’s a racket outside.

It’s not out of the ordinary to hear crashes and hollers out there.

But these hollers are angry.

Sophie looks as alarmed as I feel. “They’re in the middle of filming.”

She’s right. I’m not normally here when they’re filming, but seeing as we’re nearing the end, I’ve been arriving earlier to see how it’s going and yes, to catch the finale. Plus, it’s a good place to hide and be distracted from The Video.

Another shout sounds, and a man’s voice echoes through the gap in my door.

I stand up, a chill going over my skin.

“Reese, Rufus isn’t here. He ran out to the market for Jacques.” Rufus would jump in if there was a threat. Just like Eli, if he were down here.

“I know,” I whisper.

The voices come again, lower this time. Menacing.

I rush toward the door.