Chapter 23
Katie
The next morning, there was no sign of Meredith in the house. Even though she’d told me to make myself at home, it didn’t
feel right trashing her kitchen without saying hello first. Besides, I’d promised Tyler I’d send him a selfie with that day’s
newspaper as early as I could.
And so, with the sun rising and the sea breeze blowing, I slipped my laptop into my bag, slid my headphones onto my ears,
and soaked up every step—every hedge, fence, and modern farmhouse—until I was in the middle of downtown Southampton. The wide
and sleepy streets were understated. Even bustling Main Street, the city’s crown jewel, was quiet at its core: a simple string
of boutiques, bake shops, and bistros, all red brick and white siding. I meandered into a café, ordered a latte, and sat by
the window.
Alive, I texted, along with the promised proof.
But for how long? he wrote.
I laughed and responded, Long enough to tell you your chapter sucked.
Two seconds later: I was just about to tell you the exact same thing.
I tore off the corner of my croissant. Yesterday was a disaster. I’m going to redo all of it. I’ll let you know when I’m done.
Okay, he replied. No landscape architects, please.
I kicked my feet as I typed. In the prose or in real life?
He responded with an eye-roll emoji. I smiled, then turned my phone upside down and on silent, cracked open my laptop, and stared at my blinking cursor.
But for some reason, when I touched my fingers to the keys, nothing worth keeping came out.