Epilogue II
CHARLOTTE
“Wait for me,” I tell Aiden.
He leans out of the driver’s side window. “I’ll wait forever.”
“Well, not that long. The hotel valets will get pissed.”
He grins. “Then hurry up, Chaos.”
“I’ll be right back!” I hurry away from the Jeep we’ve rented and back up the steps of the resort. It’s stunning here. The entire place is, nestled in a valley here on Kauai. There’s greenery everywhere you look.
The reception is pretty busy. It’s 10 a.m. and a lot of people are checking out. It’s an adults-only five-star resort, and we have our own bungalow.
I could get used to going on a honeymoon to Hawaii every single month.
There’s a small bowl of fruit in the middle of the lobby. It’s free for guests to grab, and that’s my goal. Aiden and I are hiking today. The four-wheel rental will take us to a trailhead over by the Kalalau Trail. We’ve got all the water loaded into the vehicle, but we’ve got no snacks.
I’m in a pair of workout shorts and hiking boots very at odds with the other people here in the lobby. They’re in long summer dresses and linen shirts.
I grab two bananas and examine an apple when a woman comes up beside me.
She reaches for a pear. “Hey. I’m really sorry to bother you.”
I look up at her with a smile. “That’s okay.”
“Are you Charlotte Gray?”
“I am, yes.”
“Oh, that’s so cool.” She’s wearing a purple dress and has tight, curly hair. She looks around my age.
“Let me guess?” I ask. “You’re a fan of The Gamble .”
She shakes her head. “No. Well, I have seen a few seasons, I’ll admit. But actually, I’m...” She digs into the beach bag slung over her shoulder and pulls out a paperback.
It’s a matte, white book cover with red letters. Going Viral: What Happens after Fifteen Minutes of Fame. Vera and I worked a long time with the graphics department to get the cover just right.
The shadow of the title is made up of tiny images, tiny faces. Each is a moment in time that has gone viral. Little moments—like a fly in amber—even though the person and society have moved on.
“I’m nearly done with this. My cousin recommended it to me, and it’s been the perfect beach read. I keep bothering my brother with the anecdotes.” She laughs a little. “You wouldn’t… Do you mind signing it? I don’t have a pen, actually.”
“Oh, that’s all right,” I say. “Reception probably has one. That’s so cool! Are you enjoying it?”
“Yes. I can’t believe I’m seeing you here now, too.” She shakes her head as we walk over to the reception. “You know, I… I did see the first season. I don’t remember much of it, but I love that you included your own story in the book.”
“Thanks. That means a lot to me.” I mean every single word.
The receptionist hands me a pen, and I sign the first page of Viral .
It’s not the first time I’ve done it. But it’s definitely the first time it happened out in the wild like this, and I can’t get the smile off my face.
The woman thanks me again when I hand the book back to her. “I’m going to have an even better anecdote to bother my brother with now,” she says with a huge smile on her face.
For a brief second, I feel like hugging her. Or maybe crying. “I hope you enjoy your time here.”
“You, too. Thank you again, truly.”
We wave goodbye, and I almost forget the fruit I came in here for. By the time I make it out into the bright Hawaiian sunshine, Aiden has pulled the Jeep over to the side. I hurry to meet him. He probably did get told off by the valet.
“Hey,” he says, his window still down. There’s a wide smile on his face. “You’re looking awfully happy.”
“Can’t a newly married woman be awfully happy?”
“I hope she is.”
I open the passenger door of the badass Jeep and jump in beside him. “You will never guess what just happened.”
“Tell me.”
I explain the entire story to Aiden in excruciating detail as he starts the drive to the trail.
“She had the book in her bag?”
“In her bag!”
“That’s fucking unreal.” He laughs, and I look at him and his deep tan and messy hair and the smile that’s wide across his face. God, I love him so much. “I can’t believe that just happened. That’s a sign, sweetheart.”
“A sign of what?”
“Of you having a great day. A great month. A fantastic honeymoon, and, honestly, just proof of what a monumental success this book has been.”
I chuckle. “Okay, it’s been a very good, medium-sized success.” I’m happy with how Going Viral is doing. Very happy, even, for my very first non-fiction book. The topic has garnered more interest than I thought it would.
Vera even booked me on talk shows.
Because I get to talk about other people’s stories... I don’t mind quite as much. I’m nervous, every single time. But it’s also a new adventure.
And as Aiden likes to remind me, that’s where I thrive. Every time I feel anxious to do another interview, he tells me: You’re in control. You got this. And you’re going to love it when you’re there.
“It’s a major success,” he says and puts a hand on my bare knee. “My wife is a bestselling author. And, Chaos, just the fact that you were recognized? For your book ?”
“I know. I didn’t even feel scared when she approached me! Like, I wasn’t nervous at all. I thought it would be about The Gamble , and I was just…” I shrug. The sun is shining, and I’m with my best friend in the world. Past Charlotte hasn’t got a thing on Present Me. “Unbothered.”
He laughs. “That’s you. My unbothered queen.”
“Wife, queen… you’re full of compliments today.” I look over at his hand on the steering wheel and the thick gold band on his ring finger. My husband.
Our wedding was a small, private affair. Only our closest family members and no press. The party after had been different. It was a much bigger affair, with all of our relatives and friends invited.
I’ve focused on making new ones in the last few years. After I decided to stay in LA, I’ve gained more than a few. It’s been a rocky process. Building my own little tight-knit group, and settling into habits I used to scorn.
And I’ve loved every single day of it.
“Ever since we got rid of that ‘no compliments’ rule,” Aiden says. “Do you remember that one?”
It takes me a moment. “Oh my god, yes. Early on in our relationship.”
“Yes. You didn’t want to develop feelings.” He chuckles again. “It was a valiant effort, Chaos. But it failed.”
“Badly. I liked you long before I admitted it to myself. Or to you.”
He looks over at me. “You know, I suspected.”
“You did?”
“Of course. You weren’t terribly subtle.”
“I can be, I think.”
His smile widens, and he removes his hand to help steer around a sharp narrow curve, flanked by greenery. The island is stunning, and we’ve already decided this won’t be our last time here. “Yes, with other people. But not with me.”
I sigh. “No, you always saw right through me.”
He puts his hand back on my knee. “Not through you. I just saw you. The real you.”
I take his hand and weave our fingers together. My own ring is a slim gold band with a solitaire diamond. I didn’t want anything big. Nothing giant, nothing fancy. I love the design he chose. Simple, elegant, everlasting.
“I like to think I saw you, too.”
“You did,” he says, and his fingers tighten around me. “At a time when I felt like no one else had in years. I didn’t allow anyone in close enough to let them look. And there you were, with your notepad, asking questions and refusing to take no comment for an answer.”
“You were tough to crack,” I say with a chuckle.
His smile widens. “I think we were both tough to crack.”
“Well, we’re thoroughly cracked now and locked in for life.” I turn toward him in the jeep and reach out to run a hand through his hair. “You’re not scared?”
“Scared?” He’s so handsome. Dark beard, sparkling green eyes, and that wide smile. I’ve looked and looked at him for over two years straight, and I don’t think I’ll ever get enough. “Terrified, Chaos. As always. But we’re going on this adventure together.”
I tighten my hand around his. “And we love a good adventure.”