Page 79

“Not enough, apparently, because she asked again and just now, too.”

“So, your mom already knows about me?”

“Not about anything specific. She asked for a name, so I said Abby, but that’s all she knows. You’re a famous writer, so I didn’t want to give her your last name or anything. Then, honestly, I wasn’t sure you were into women. I mean, I was pretty sure, but I didn’t want to out you to my mother, who has learned social media specifically to spy on people.”

Abby laughed again and said, “So, you haven’t told her about anything else?”

Quinn shook her head and replied, “I was in denial, too, there for a bit. And it feels like something that should be kept between us. She might try to have me committed, but it’s also, I don’t know, special that only you and I know this really important thing.”

“I agree,” Abby said. “But you just told her that we’re together right now, so…”

Quinn’s phone chimed then, and Abby laughed. Quinn picked it up again and read the message.

“She says that if you’re staying the night, I can call her tomorrow. How kind of her, huh?”

“She’s pretty confident that you can seal the deal, huh?” Abby joked.

“Seal the deal? Are you the Richard from your story now? Trying to go all the way with me tonight, Abigail Foster?”

“No. And I really should go. You can call her back now, if you want.”

“I don’t want you to go, Abby. I want you to stay. I can call her back tomorrow.”

“Quinn, I’m not ready for–”

“Not for that,” Quinn clarified quickly and dropped her phone onto the sofa. “Just to keep doing this. I don’t want to stop talking to you.”

“I need to write,” Abby admitted. “I want to get their story onto the page. It’s important to me. I guess you should understand that part of me. When I’m writing something I’m into, I have to do it. I get a pull there, too. Not the same way I’m pulled toward you, but I do have to write, or I get reallycrabby.” She chuckled.

Her first instinct had been to hide that this was something about her that most people weren’t aware of and that many people, including some of her exes, didn’t understand about her. Abby knew revealing this to Quinn made her vulnerable. But something about this woman – and Abby wasn’t sure that it was from someone from their past because it felt like it was just Quinn to her – had Abby trusting her and sharing that fact about herself.

“I understand. Can you come by the shop tomorrow, though? Or can I come by your place? I can bring the rest of this pie and maybe some dinner. We can just talk.”

“Please, you’ll finish this pie before tomorrow night.” Abby slipped back into her shoes. “And can I call you? I don’t know what’s going to happen with this story, and I still have to finish Deb and Harriet’s. I owe pages to my publisher, and this whole real-life thing has me wondering about how to handle all of this with an actual book being published.”

“You don’t have my number,” Quinn pointed out.

Abby stopped what she was doing, looked over at her, and tilted her head at the realization.

“I don’t, do I?”

“Nope. Social handles? Yes. Address? Check. Not my phone number, though.”

Abby pulled her phone out of her pocket, unlocked it, and handed it to Quinn.

“Put it in there. I’ll text you mine.”

Quinn went about adding herself to Abby’s contacts, but then she froze as Abby’s phone chimed.

“You just got a message.”

“Is it your mom asking me when we’re getting married?” Abby joked. “Did she somehow track down my number only knowing my first, very common name?”

“No, it’s someone named Samantha. She wants to know when you’re moving back to LA so that you can talk about the two of you getting back together in person.” Quinn held out Abby’s phone, looking sad and confused at the same time. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to read it. My number’s in there now, though.”

“Quinn…”

“No, it’s okay. That’s your business.”