Chapter 19 #2
Still breathless, I stroke a thumb across his jaw. “Fifty percent interest is fair. No complaints.”
He stands, kissing me again. “I plan to hold you accountable.”
“I know,” I whisper, my heart still racing. “Let me take care of you.”
He cups my cheek, thumb brushing lightly across my skin. “Nope. Not part of the deal. Now you have five thousand to write. Three thousand for your IOU and two for another O-coin. Damn, girl.”
He steps back, letting me hop off the counter. I lift the towel around my body. “I’m going upstairs to change.”
“Go ahead,” he says, watching me as I walk out of sight.
I slowly take the stairs, returning back to his room.
When I walk inside, I take a second to look around at the space that feels so much like him.
I move to the bathroom, tossing my towel on the floor to soak up the water we left behind.
Once I’m dressed, I rush back downstairs, and I grab Millie’s letter off the counter.
Ezra is holding out a slice of pie and a fork on a plate. “For your writing session.”
My eyes trail down his body to his cock that’s hard under the towel. “Please?”
“Nope. If you want to please me, write your words.”
I sigh. “You’re not fair.”
“I’m overly fair,” he shoots back. “And you know it.”
“I do,” I say, and as I walk away, he pulls me back to him and kisses me.
“Hurry.”
“I will.”
My heart is full and inspired, ready to pour every feeling, every truth onto the page as fast as I possibly can.
When I enter the cottage, I pause in the space, knowing Ezra lived here in his twenties until his mother passed away. The space feels different now; it feels like him. I set the pie next to my laptop. Knowing this space is special to him makes it mean so much more to me.
Millie’s letter rests carefully between my fingertips. I sit at the desk, my heart pounding in my chest with a mix of curiosity and care I wasn’t expecting. I tear the envelope open, carefully pulling out the folded note.
The handwriting is neat and graceful, just like the exterior, the lines written in a confident slant.
Scarlett,
I hope you don’t mind my writing to you. I’m sure you hear this all the time, but I do feel like I already know you through your beautiful stories. You’ve touched my heart over the years, more than you’ll ever realize, and seeing the way Ezra smiles now, I suspect you’ve touched his as well.
My nephew is a good man, one of the rare ones.
He loves with his whole heart and takes care of those he cherishes, even if it costs him everything.
He’s carried burdens heavier than most, and he deserves real happiness, just like you.
I haven’t seen him this alive in years, and I know it’s because of you.
So please, Scarlett, don’t break my nephew’s heart. Love him well and let him love you in return.
I’m really looking forward to meeting you soon. Enjoy the pecan pie!
Warmly,
Millie
PS: Next time, I’ll have Ezra bring a chocolate one!
My throat tightens unexpectedly. I hold the letter against my chest, staring up at the ceiling as my thoughts whirl.
How did Ezra slip past my carefully constructed barriers? He’s everything I’ve silently craved but was afraid to believe I deserved.
I barely know him, but the fact that I want to learn everything I can about him is what matters.
Ezra isn’t just changing my life. He’s bringing me back to life. And now, I’m determined not just to write a happily ever after, but to find mine.
Setting Millie’s letter aside, I pick up my voice recorder, my pulse fluttering with newfound determination.
The weight I’ve been carrying for far too long feels like it’s lifting.
I pace through the cozy cottage, the recorder in my palm, and I speak without hesitation.
“I think I’ve been hiding from myself. I’ve been afraid to let people see too much of my messy parts, my insecurities, the doubts and scars my past left behind.
But that’s exactly what they need to see.
Hiding isn’t living. It’s just surviving.
And I don’t want to survive anymore. I want to feel everything.
To love fully. Trust again. The risk is worth the reward. ”
I pause, swallowing around the lump that formed in my throat.
After a long pause, I push forward, encouraged by the clarity that Ezra has given me.
“I’ve met someone who makes me want to be brave again.
He sees something in me that I had forgotten was there, something that feels whole and worthy of real happiness.
It’s terrifying how easily he makes me forget all the reasons I’ve remained guarded.
It’s like he’s holding my hand, guiding me out of the dark, step by careful step.
And I don’t feel lost. For once, I feel found. ”
I click off the recorder, my heart hammering at the raw honesty in my words. My truths being laid bare without edits or revisions is overwhelming and exhilarating.
My phone buzzes against the desk, pulling my attention away.
A sharp spike of anxiety rushes through me as I see a preview of an email from my editor.
My heart pounds as I tap to open it, holding my breath as my eyes scan over her words.
Subject: Re: First Three Chapters
Scarlett,
You’ve blown me away. These chapters are everything I hoped they’d be—authentic, raw, and beautifully you. This is, without question, the best work you’ve ever written. I love it!
Whatever mojo you’ve found, keep it! I can’t wait to read the rest and find out if Helena and Jordan get their happily ever after!
Natalie
A wave of relief rolls over me, and I burst into happy tears because Natalie wouldn’t lie. Neither would Hallie.
My eyes blur, and a small, stunned laugh escapes me. She loves it. Not only is it good enough, but it’s exactly right. Exactly me. Exactly the story I need to tell.
I place a hand over my heart, feeling it hammer. Determination rushes through me like fresh inspiration. I’m undeniably on the right track.
I quickly type out a reply:
Hi Natalie,
Wow! Thank you. You have no idea how much I needed to hear this. I promise, I’ll keep pouring my heart onto these pages. You will have a final before my deadline. Back to writing!
With Gratitude,
Scarlett
I hit send and exhale. Before I return to my dictation session, I text Hallie.
Scarlett
Natalie LOVED it! OMG! I’m so excited!
Hallie
Yay! That’s the best news! You’re thriving!
I laugh under my breath, quickly tapping out a reply.
Scarlett
I am. I’ve also had another massive breakthrough on my plot. And his aunt made me pecan pie and wrote me a sweet letter.
Her reply buzzes.
Hallie
I’m so happy for you!!! Things are finally working out. And remember, I read it first before everyone else. Me! And I can’t wait to read more. And pie from his aunt? You’re officially living in a rom-com. Jealous! Swear you have all the luck! Now, stop talking to me and write more. Thank you!
Scarlett
FINE! But also thank you! Check in soon!
I laugh at Hallie’s enthusiasm, then set my phone down. I tighten my grasp on my recorder, feeling the steadying comfort of it in my hand. Tonight, my words belong to Helena and my truths.
I press record, stepping fully into my heroine’s world, which is so similar to my own, it’s frightening.
“Helena knew it was time to stop running. She’d spent so long convincing herself she was fine and that solitude was easier, safer.
But now, standing in the soft glow of Jordan’s kitchen, everything was different.
She couldn’t hide the way her heart raced and couldn’t deny how much she cared for him.
” I pause, feeling the familiar flutter in my chest, then continue.
“Jordan closed the distance between them, his gaze never wavering from hers. His voice was gentle yet firm. ‘You’re allowed to be happy, Helena. You’re allowed to trust again. ’”
My voice softens as I slip deeper into the story, feeling every word.
“Helena looked up at him, vulnerability trembling in her voice. ‘What if I’m not ready? What if I fall in love and get hurt again?’
He brushed her cheek with the back of his hand, tender and patient. ‘I will catch you if you fall.’ Jordan hesitated. ‘We must take risks together. You deserve someone who sees you completely, who doesn’t run when things get hard. You deserve real love, Helena.’
Helena’s breath caught, warmth unfurling within her chest, because she was finally letting herself believe him.
At some point, Helena realized he was right.
She’d survived heartbreak, and she could survive it again.
But she couldn’t live another day of her life without telling Jordan what he meant to her.
She had to share with him how she felt, even if she was scared. ”
I click off the recorder. My pulse races at the thought of how much this scene resonates within me. I recognize pieces of myself, but I don’t pull back. Instead, I embrace it.
I glance toward Ezra’s house, grateful for everything that’s brought me to this shared experience with him.
Three and a half hours and five thousand eighty-three words later, exhaustion settles heavily into my bones, but I feel a sense of accomplishment. I sink onto the bed and grab my phone.
I type out a message to Ezra.
Scarlett
5083 words. Mission accomplished!
My phone buzzes.
Ezra
Proud of you. Are you coming over to celebrate?
I yawn as my fingertips hover over the keyboard. A reminder of how much my body craves rest.
Scarlett
Might take a raincheck. I’m so exhausted.
Ezra
Absolutely. Sleep well, superstar.
Scarlett
Speaking of, my editor loved the first three chapters.
Ezra
Yay! They were beautifully written, Scarlett. So happy for you! Good night.
Scarlett
Good night. Thank you for everything.
Ezra
Thank you.
I set my phone down and close my eyes.
As I drift off, I smile, knowing happiness is close enough to touch. This is the very feeling I’ve been chasing for a lifetime.