Page 73 of Wish You Were Her

“Started helping out when I was fourteen. Employed officially at sixteen. I wore your dad down.”

“Are you two close?”

Something appeared in Jonah’s eyes for a moment but it was gone in an instant. “I thought we were.”

“You did?”

“Yeah. But he’s been super distant of late.”

“You probably know Dad better than me, but he’s never been an amazing communicator.”

“Yeah, well.” Jonah released an exhale. “Neither am I.”

“You want to work there for always?”

She was aware that she was interrogating him a little, but he didn’t seem to mind.

“No, not always,” he said. “But I want to stay in the world of books.”

“What about publishing?”

“Not many presses in Lake Pristine.”

“You could start one.”

He turned to stare at her, as if no one had ever offered up any kind of interest in this side of him before. She wondered if she had thrown him off the script in his head.

“Yeah, maybe,” he said softly, still staring at her.

“My mother works in publishing,” she reminded him. “I could reintroduce you. In a professional capacity.”

He regarded her for a moment and then said, “I want to write.”

Her expression did not change, she had to stop herself from saying, “I know” because she had read his emails over and over again. All she did was nod. “I can tell. You aren’t… you don’t speak like anyone else around here. And I think you see everything. It’s why you have so many opinions.”

“Too many.”

“That girl you were writing to,” she spoke in a whisper, “I’m sure she could tell you were a writer.”

“She was a good friend to me. Whoever she is.”

Allegra felt her chest seize. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. This summer’s been weird. Not just because of the arrival of a beautiful film star. Simon’s not who I thought he was. I’m re-examining our whole friendship. Kerrie’s been weird. George—your dad—has been weird. And every time I screwed up with you at the shop, I would write to her. And she would write back, telling me everything would be okay. She was a real friend.”

Allegra blinked rapidly, desperately trying to keep her eyes dry and her face relaxed. “I’m sorry she didn’t come.”

“Me too. It’s… it’s complicated. She must have had a reason.”

“She was really sorry,” Allegra breathed. “When I spoke to her. Desperately sorry. She wanted to be there.”

“Yeah. Well. I’ve kinda got a small amount of tolerance for people who don’t show up.”

Allegra watched the regret mark up his handsome face and it was exactly what made her want to hold back her feelings. He was definitely cooler toward his mystery girl, clearly stung from being stood up.

So, she pushed a little, dipping her toe in the waters of something she had sworn she wouldn’t do.

“How old is she? Your pen-pal?”