Page 12 of Fangirl

The typing dots appear… then stop… then appear again.

Elijah: You don’t think he could pull it off?

I scoff.

Me: I think Hollywood has no clue how to cast fantasy. They see a guy with abs and think he can play a torturedwarrior. Anlon isn’t about looking strong. He is strong. That has to come from the inside.

Elijah: And you don’t think Jake has that?

Me: He’s never had to prove it. All he does is action flicks and dumb one-liners. I don’t know if he’s even capable of showing that level of depth.

The dots appear again.

Elijah: Interesting.

Before I can type another insult about Hollywood, another message pops up.

Elijah: What about the romance?

I pause, caught off guard.

Me: What do you mean?

Elijah: You’re talking about him like he’s all war and strategy. But if he’s that loyal, that intense… what’s he like in love?

A warm, giddy feeling spreads through me.

Someone is actually asking me about the best part of Anlon?

Me: He’s deeply romantic. But not in an over-the-top, dramatic way. He’s promised to Princess Kataryn. Political alliance, power move, the usual. But he never sees her. Not really.

Elijah: And then?

Me: Then there’s Celandine.

I take a sip of coffee, fully in my element now.

Me: She’s just a maid when they first meet. Not some warrior queen, not royalty. But she’s brave, kind, and willing to risk her life for others. Anlon doesn’t see her as a pawn in the great political game. He sees her.

Elijah:Love at first sight?

Me: Not exactly. It’s respect first. Admiration. He notices her when no one else does. And when he finds out she broke her leg as a girl and never fully healed, he doesn’t see her as a liability. He sees her as someone who’s fought her own battles.

Elijah: So he falls for her strength?

Me: For her strength. Her heart. The way she challenges him. She doesn’t worship him—she sees him. And he chooses her. Every single time.

I hesitate, then type the words I know are true.

Me: And I know without doubt that in book twelve, he’ll make her his wife.

The dots appear, disappear, then appear again.

Elijah: You sound so sure.

Me: I am. Because that’s who Anlon is. He doesn’t love lightly. When he chooses, it’s for life.

Another pause.