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“I don’t want to take anything away from Charlie, but I think—”

“Don’t, though. Fix it instead.”

“I don’t know what you mean.” Taryn hated that she was allowing this woman to intimidate her, and she was. It was all she could do not to crumple. Where was all that strength she’d been working on when she needed it?

“From what I hear, Charlotte’s presented herself in a very impressive manner in New York. She’s excited for the opportunity, a door that will lead to so many great things in the literary community. Broadland Rhodes is a fortress to someone on the ground floor, but I escorted her in. I can just as easily escort her right out again.”

Taryn frowned, attempting to follow the thread. Surely she’d misunderstood. She remained still. “Are you saying you would do that?”

“I’m asking you to step away and I won’t have to. It’s time for Charlie to get back to her life. Playtime is over.” She touched Taryn’s wrist. “I say that with respect. This is nothing personal, but I won’t have my family disrupted. You’re treading on a lot of history, my dear.”

“What if Charlie doesn’t want me to go anywhere?” Her voice sounded small and meek.

“She’s lost right now. She’s a woman about to step into the real world for the first time, and she’s panicking. I think we’ve all been there. Do her the biggest favor of your life and get out of the way so she can remember who she is again.” Monica lifted a shoulder. “Or don’t, and I’ll rescind my recommendation. Broadland Rhodes is hoping to sign me for another three-book deal and is willing to do just about whatever I ask.”

Taryn couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. It was ludicrous and awful all at the same time.

“Do the right thing, Tina.”

“My name is Taryn.”

“An easy mistake.” It wasn’t. It was meant to show her how replaceable she was. Monica gestured to the reception hall behind them. “Your professors speak highly of you. You have a promising future if you play your cards right. Give me a call someday if you’d like me to make a connection for you.”

“No. That won’t be necessary,” she said evenly. Never in a million years would she want help from this woman, who professed to love and care about others, when in fact, she used her power to manipulate and get what she wanted.

“Suit yourself.” She turned to go and paused. “But I implore you to think about what I said and do the best possible thing for Charlie. If you feel for her what you seem to, you’ll want her to have everything she’s dreaming of right now. Don’t take it all away from her.”

And then she was gone, taking with her Taryn’s sense of stability, clarity, and trust that the world was a good place. She went through the rest of the reception like an automaton. She smiled in the right spots and complimented the work on display. She nodded and feigned gratitude when many told her how much they enjoyed her photographs. But underneath it all, Taryn was numb.

She didn’t walk straight home but instead took a circuitous path through campus. She passed through the grouping of trees where she and Charlie had once watched the copper glow. She found a bench near the foreign language building where she could still see them kissing against a nearby tree beneath the cover of darkness. Everything in her screamed to go straight to Charlie and tell her everything Monica had threatened. But to what end? Charlie would run angry to Monica, only to have the arrangement pulled out from beneath her. Or worse, she’d get the fire in her eyes she often did, and let the opportunity go. Or would she choose the job over Taryn? The fact of the matter was she didn’t like any of those options, making this whole thing wildly unfair. Yet here it sat on her shoulders.

So, she walked and walked, hands in her pockets, heart aching and mind racing, a wreck. Maybe the best solution was a temporary evil. Maybe she stepped away long enough for Charlie to find her footing in New York, establish herself in that world. If Taryn was patient, and Charlie was forgiving, they would find their way back to each other, right? They were meant to be together. Taryn was more sure of that than the sun coming up, but maybe timing was key and the only way around Charlie not losing everything she’d been working toward.

With several miles under her belt, and her feet aching, her heart had gone from counting the moments until Charlie was home to dreading the interaction ahead, whatever that might be. Her plan was to sleep on it and see if the morning brought any clarity.

Love did conquer all, right? She had to believe that she and Charlie would be okay, no matter what happened in the short term. The alternative was too impossible to consider.

Chapter Eighteen

Charlie’s feet hadn’t touched the ground since her meeting with June DiCarlo, who she realized she was going to have to start calling June at some point. She’d treated herself to that fantastic food cart to commemorate the moment, enjoying chicken tikka masala in front of the building, and wondered if this might become a daily ritual for her when she returned full-time.

The next day, on the plane home, she pored through the helpful information June’s office had sent over about apartments, MetroCards, and favorite spots to eat. It really was a comprehensive welcome package, and she couldn’t wait to share it with Taryn. They would, after all, eventually be living there together, and Taryn should have a say in the kind of place Charlie picked out.

They’d made arrangements to get together after Taryn’s afternoon class on the morning Charlie arrived home. She checked the clock, realizing Taryn was half an hour late. Not like her. Charlie sent a text and waited, antsy and getting concerned. Maybe it was just that she missed Taryn, and a couple of days apart made her itch to see her beautiful face again. Patience be damned.

Finally, a knock on the door followed by it opening revealed Taryn with her hair pulled back in a ponytail and a smile on her face when her gaze landed on Charlie. “You’re home,” she said softly, but the familiar energy was missing.

“I am. Hi,” Charlie said, kissing her lips softly. She didn’t receive much back. Odd. It was possible Taryn had experienced a stressful few days. Her smile also didn’t reach her eyes, which seemed tired. “I hate being apart. Have I mentioned that?”

“You don’t have to. I missed you, too.”

Charlie dipped her head to examine Taryn head-on. “Hey, are you okay? Did you sleep last night?”

“Not a ton. No.”

“All right.” Charlie paused, waiting for Taryn to say more, but she didn’t. “Everything okay?”

“Mm-hmm,” Taryn said, sliding her hands into the back pockets of her jeans. “Still coming down from your high? I’m so thrilled for you. I know this job offer was weighing on you.”