Page 50 of Unconventionally, Elle

I had to hurry, and I felt all the pressure start to come down on me the second I tried to open the file from Dropbox.

But as I scrolled through my manuscript, something felt wrong.

I skipped to the last chapter, and that's when I saw it.

This wasn't my most recent version! Where was my happily ever after? Where was my last chapter?

Panic pulsed throughout my body. I had no idea what to do. I restarted my computer. I tried to find any possible way to open a different version. They were all the same or older. Oh my God. Oh my fucking God! I started sweating and getting hot flashes. I was going to be sick.

Hysterical, I called Finn. "Oh my God, oh my God! It's not here! My finished version, everything I did last night, it's gone!"

John was staring at me, concerned, and I waved him off, even though my face must have told a different story. I was known for my face giving away anything I was thinking, so when John kept glancing over to check on me, it was certainly warranted.

"I'm not sure I can help, but I'll be right over. I'll bring Jackson. He knows Dropbox better than me." Then I heard the call end.

I texted Emma. I called Barrett. Nothing. John walked over and sat down next to me.

"Elle, you're worrying me. What's wrong?" he asked quietly.

"Do you know anything about computers? I tried to open my most recent version in Dropbox, and it's gone.

My last chapter is nowhere to be found, and I don't know what to do!

It's due today. Oh my God!" I threw my hand over my mouth and hunched over, squeezing my stomach.

My latte was not sitting well with this influx of anxiety.

He grabbed my arm and patted my back forcefully, murmuring that it would be all right.

"Let me see it." He took my computer and messed with it for what felt like an hour.

"Is this it?" he asked, pulling up a Word document from Recent Projects.

I scrolled all the way to the last page. "The End."

"Yes. Oh my God, John, you did it!" I screeched. "Oh, thank you. Thank you!" I leaned over and gave him a huge kiss on the cheek. His face went bright red, and his hand went right to where my lips had touched his face.

He couldn't speak. He just nodded with an impish grin and got up to go back to the coffee bar. I scrolled through to make sure everything was all right. Finn and Jackson walked in and rushed over to my booth to sit by me.

"Did you get it back?" Finn asked, looking at me and then my screen.

"I think so. Look, John did it." I squealed and pointed at the ending on my screen.

"Oh, thank God! Well, that will make tonight even more fun."

Confused, I looked up from my spell-check and raised an eyebrow. "What's going on tonight?" Finn's lips pressed together in a smile, and his nose crinkled as if he was trying to hold in a secret. I couldn't handle the anticipation. "What is it, Finn?"

"Okay, so before our minor heart attack this morning with your missing words, Jackson and I made spontaneous plans to go into New York tonight for New Year's!

It's ridiculous, I know, so many people, but I don't know, we were feeling it.

Aaaand, we want you to come!" He had the biggest smile on his face, and Jackson was cheesing right next to him.

I was too stunned to respond. First, I'd forgotten it was technically New Year's Eve, and second, what about Barrett and Louie?

Finn continued with excitement radiating from him.

"The train leaves around five. And remember, we still need to celebrate the fact that you finished your first draft of your first ever book!

Submitting it is the cherry on top. We're so proud of you, Elle.

" Jackson nodded along as Finn pulled me into a hug.

"Okay, okay. I'm in. I think after I hit submit, I'll need a stiff drink anyway, right?" I smirked at the two boys, who were overjoyed with my acceptance. "But I still need to ask Emma if she'll watch Louie for me. Barrett is in Miami."

I noticed Finn's sideways glance to Jackson. "Wait, Barrett left for Miami?"

I tried to act as if it was okay. I mean, it was. He had to get this deal done. I was a little bummed we wouldn't have our first New Year's together, but there would be plenty more.

"Who's going to kiss you at midnight, girlfriend?" Jackson probed.

I shrugged. "Well, I was thinking Louie, but now that I'll be out, I'll have to get my puppy kiss when I get home."

"You didn't answer me, Ellz," Finn replied.

"Oh, right. He left this morning, like around four a.m. It was a brutal wake-up call. Actually, I'm pretty sure he was sleepwalking out the door."

"Elle, that's bullshit. It's your first New Year's together. Couldn't he leave a day later?"

I felt heat flush my cheeks. Finn had a point, but also, he didn't see what Barrett was going through.

The baby, the Miami deal, settling into his new role.

I didn't want to make anything harder on him.

We still hadn't truly discussed children and the baby because he'd had a string of panic attacks since the funeral, and I didn't want to cause another one.

"It's okay, Finn. Seriously. He's got a lot going on, and you know me, I'm a homebody.

I was totally fine staying with my baby Louie tonight and watching the ball drop on TV.

Honestly, we're kind of crazy going into the city tonight.

Like, I refuse to wear a diaper. That's not happening. I won't be in Times Square."

Finn and Jackson both reeled back together.

"Oh my God, eww, Elle. We would never take you to Times Square for their shenanigans.

" Jackson still had a look of disgust on his face as he nodded along with Finn's words.

"We have a friend in the hospitality industry who got us on the list for a hot club tonight.

We told him we'd have a group, so I would have tried to convince you to come regardless of your response. " He laughed, proud of himself.

"Where are we staying?" I asked, realizing they'd never mentioned the full plan.

"Oh, duh, forgot to say." Finn waved his hand like it was a minor detail. "One of our friends lives in Dumbo, so he said we could crash there at the end of the night. He's in Paris with his boyfriend tonight, so the apartment is free."

"Paris? Damn, we should go there next, ha." I continued to click through changes on my spell-check tool.

"Seriously," Jackson said, and Finn nodded in agreement.

We sat together for another hour or two, ironing out details as I spell-checked and did a final once-over of my manuscript.

Emma agreed to watch Louie. She was going to come over to my condo and stay with him. She was still recovering from the funeral and the loss of her dad, which, honestly, I could relate. It took me forever to want to do anything again after my grandparents died.

After checking my document one last time, I went onto the competition website to submit. I felt my heart race as I clicked through the prompts to upload my manuscript.

As I was waiting for my book to export into a PDF, the boys went quiet and a stranger sat right next to me.

I noticed her out of my peripheral vision, an oversized puffy blue jacket and short blond hair.

As soon as I caught the scent of her perfume, I knew.

Because after a decade of friendship, I'd know Vera Wang Princess absolutely anywhere.

In shocked disbelief, I turned my head toward my stranger. She was smiling from ear to ear and opened her arms wide to embrace me. I couldn't help it. I burst into tears and threw myself in her arms.

"Sarah!"

I couldn't believe my best friend was sitting next to me. A glance at my computer screen and I saw my manuscript was done exporting into a PDF. The file was ready.

"Oh my God! I can't believe you're here!" I was crying, laughing, and smiling all at the same time. "Is Rach coming?"

She hugged me again, tighter this time.

"I knew today was the day you submitted your manuscript.

I wanted to be here. James is watching the kids for the weekend, and I got on the first flight out of Virginia so I could be with you when you hit submit.

And no, Rach and Josh have plans in Saint Louis for New Year's and are flying in tomorrow to meet the movers at their new apartment. "

I'm not sure words could describe the emotions fluttering through my body.

My bubbly best friend was here. Finn and Jackson too.

Oh, and heaven forbid I forget my pork chop, Louie.

If only Rach and Barrett were here, but it was fine.

It was okay. I'd see both soon enough, and I knew they were proud of me.

My exhaustion, fear, and joy poured out of me as tears streamed down my cheeks. It was okay, everything was going to be okay.

Sarah grabbed my hand and squeezed. "You haven't submitted yet, right?"

"No, actually, I was just about to do it. It's ready." I smiled as all three of my friends gathered into the booth with me, holding my arms, my shoulder, anywhere they could reach. Louie was now sitting in my lap.

"Let's submit this book and get ready for a brand-new year," Sarah declared as I lifted my finger to hit the button.

"Wait!" I shrieked.

John looked up from the espresso machine, eyebrows pinched in concern.

"I'm doing it, John!" I yelled across the café. "I'm submitting!"

"It's time?" He clapped his hands together and jumped. Turning to the others behind the bar, he yelled across the café, "Guys, it's time! She's submitting her manuscript!"

The café broke out in applause--baristas, strangers, everyone. They cheered me on as I lifted my finger to upload my manuscript.

"You got it, babe. Submit the damn thing," said Finn.

I met his gaze and gave him a curt nod. Then Sarah, Finn, and Jackson all placed their hands on mine. Together, we submitted my manuscript at 2:47 p.m. Perfectly imperfect and ready for the judges' eyes. The confirmation hit my email moments later, and I broke down into tears again.

"I did it," I cried into Sarah's shoulder.

Finn was rubbing my back and Jackson had his hand in mine.

"You did it," Sarah said, squeezing me tight to her chest. "And I'm so fucking proud of you."

"We all are," Finn whispered, and Jackson gave my hand a tight squeeze.

I gave Louie an early New Year's kiss before leaving the condo and left him a treat on his dog bed. Emma would be by in a few hours, and he'd still have a New Year's kiss. Lucky dog.

As we got through the turnstiles and ran toward the train, Finn and Jackson waved me and Sarah on. We couldn't run as fast as them in heels.

"Let's goooo!" Jackson yelled. Finn was laughing by his side, watching us stumble and try to rush to catch the train.

"You two are a hot mess," Finn said as we caught up to board the train to New York's Penn Station.

We laughed with our hands on our sides, trying to catch our breath.

"And you two . . . are rude . . . as fuck," I joked.

Sarah sat down next to me on the train and took a deep breath.

"God, I don't even remember what it's like to celebrate New Year's without kids," she panted.

"Well, honey, there's no better time to remember than NYE in NYC," Finn said with a flirtatious smirk.

We all laughed as the train started moving. In three and a half hours, we'd be in New York, and I wouldn't be alone for New Year's Eve. I only wished that Barrett would be there with me.