“I’m just glad you bathed,” Daysha says, sniffing the air in my direction. I make a face at her, knowing that I don’t stink this time. Especially after the body spray spritz.
Becca glares at Daysha, changing the subject. “How’s the book going? Tell us what you need other than a sprint session.”
I sigh heavily. “It would be great if you could read over the last few chapters and see if I’ve missed anything,” I admit. “I know it sucks to ask you guys to be beta readers, but I need the assist badly. I think I’ve got the loose ends tied up, but I want to be sure because I’m heading into the happily ever after. And the cliffhanger.”
“Cliffhanger?” Jasmine says with a wrinkle of her nose. “Readers hate those. Unless you’re explicit that it’s supposed to be that way.”
“I know, but I was totally upfront about it. It’s a three-book series, already plotted out and contracted that way,” I remind them. “So the cliffie is a necessary evil, but I need there to be some resolution that feels good.”
“Then let’s do this shit,” Daysha says, opening her laptop. “Gimme a copy.”
I give her my thumb drive, and Aleria places a hand on my shoulder. “Let me clear some of the static first. I truly think it’ll help.”
She’s done an aura cleanse on me before, so I know it won’t hurt, and at this point, anything that might help is fair game. I nod my agreement, and Aleria stands behind me, humming softly as she traces over my skin with her palms a few inches from connecting with me.
“Allow creativity to flow freely, unrestricted by worldly concerns. Release stressors and bring only warm light to Poppy’s soul. Blessed be,” Aleria intones. Her voice is soothing, even if the words don’t actually do anything.
“Thank you,” I tell her, appreciating the thought and support more than anything.
Daysha passes around my thumb drive, and within a minute of everyone’s opening the file, we’re all going at it. They’re reading the last few chapters, making notes for discussion or tweaks, and I’m writing forward from my last stopping point. New hope blooms that I might be able to do this and do it in a quality way that will make this book my new favorite thing I’ve ever written.
I’m so thankful that we all help each other this way. All five of us are better writers since we started calling each other on our shit, pushing us to do more and be better.
While they read, I put on my earbuds with my hand-selected inspirational playlist for these characters and pour the story in my mind onto the computer screen. I’m down to hours, not days on my deadline, it seems, and the situation is so tense that even Hilda’s leaving me alone simply because she knows that the minutes she wastes yapping my ear off are minutes I can’t work.
I’m furiously working until I feel eyes on me. I glance at the computer clock to see if I finished a sprint, ready for the donut hole, but find that I still have six minutes left on the timer. I look up from my screen questioningly to see all four women with their eyes looking just beyond me.
“What?” I turn around, not sure if I’m expecting it to be Hilda demanding the book, Hunter telling me I fucked up, or Mr. Big coming back to take his revenge. All of those options are terrifying.
It’s none of those people.
It’s Connor. Finally.
I stand up, my knees quaking as I walk over to the door, not quite believing what I’m seeing.
“Are you real?” With a hesitant smile, I poke him in the stomach, which is rock hard beneath his black T-shirt. Seeing him, alive and in the flesh, relieves so many worries and fears. Ones that have been keeping me awake at night and distracting me from my writing. Ones that have kept my breath tight in my chest and my heart feeling hollow.
“I’m real,” Connor says, his voice insistent, his eyes burning. “I’m here for you.”
Tears sting my eyes, and I cover my mouth with my hands to keep from squealing too loudly in the library. But a pretty loud, high-pitched sound still gets out through my fingers, and the librarian shushes me.
I should tell her to stop interrupting my big romantic moment, but I can’t take my eyes from Connor. He’s really here. We have a lot to figure out