Albert sighed, his anger deflating. “Don’t we all?”
The simplicity of that question struck Nick.
He’d fought his whole life to be nothing like Albert, despite the qualities they had in common. Their ambition, their sense of survival. Their desire to be loved. But what they most had in common was something that Nick had no control over: they were imperfect human beings.
Despite everything, Nick loved his dad, but doubted he’d be able to build a new relationship with him, and honestly, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to. But what Albert had said was true. Nick also needed help in his own way. He decided right then that he’d find a therapist as soon as he got back to New York.
By the time Nick thought to reply, Albert was already snoring.
He didn’t know when he’d talk to Albert about his book, but he was no longer afraid about him finding out. That was what mattered most.
Albert’s doctor appeared in the hallway then, gesturing to Nick. He left Albert’s room quietly, careful to close the door behind him without a sound.
* * *
? ? ?
That night in his hotel room, Nick sat in front of his glowing laptop screen and pulled up his current draft of The Elves of Ceradon book two. He stared at the blinking cursor and realized something.
The story he’d started for Deko no longer fit. It didn’t make sense for Deko to stay in Ceradon. It was true that he’d found a new home there, a safer home. But Deko would need to return to his old kingdom eventually. He’d need to build an army to rid the land of life leeches for good.
Deko might not be successful in his venture, but he had to try. He’d come too far not to.
Nick highlighted and deleted the handful of chapters he’d managed to write over the last few weeks. With a clear vision in mind, he began again.
Hours later, when most people in his part of the world were sleeping, Nick was bleary-eyed and exhausted. He wanted to text Lily, but he’d wait until first thing tomorrow morning when she was awake.
26
The one upside about not being invited to M&M’S party as a junior-level employee was that Lily was able to leave the office an hour early shortly after Edith left to meet other executives for pre-party drinks.
On the subway ride home, Lily sighed impatiently, looking at her dead cell phone. She’d stayed up late with Violet last night, helping her curate the perfect post-breakup playlist, including songs from SZA, Summer Walker and Jhené Aiko, aka the men-ain’t-shit holy trinity. She’d forgotten to charge her phone and it had died on her morning commute seconds after Nick had texted at 7:34 a.m.
Hey, can I call you later during your lunch?
Of course she’d forgotten her charger at home and didn’t have a spare one at her desk, and she surely couldn’t ask Edith if she could borrow her charger because Edith refused to upgrade her flip phone. And then during lunch, Edith pulled Lily into her office and spent forty-five minutes complaining about how their imprint wouldn’t have any titles featured at the party.
Lily had no idea what Nick wanted to say to her. Even with the weirdness since their FaceTime call the other night, she missed him something bad. She wanted to hear the sound of his voice. She needed her freaking charger.
When she got home, Violet was sitting at the kitchen island in her black silk pajamas, typing away on her laptop.
“What do you think of this invite?” she asked, spinning her laptop around so that Lily could see the e-vite on her screen.
Violet’s Anti-Wedding Party
When: Same day the wedding was supposed to be
Where: Same place the wedding was supposed to be
Wear black!
Fuck cheaters!
“Oh, so you’re really going through with this?” Lily asked.
“I’ll be damned if I let that man, who has an obsession with Supreme sweatsuits and being big time, ruin what could otherwise be an amazing day with my family and friends. This party will be a celebration. A liberation.”
Lily looked at the bags under Violet’s eyes. She hadn’t seen a good night’s sleep since Miami. Would Lily throw a party after finding out that her fiancé cheated two weeks before her wedding? Unlikely, because she’d probably be somewhere crying her eyes out. Everyone dealt with heartbreak differently. Lily could only admire that Violet was choosing to handle her heartbreak in style.
“I’ll be there,” she said. “In all black.”
“Good.” Violet beamed, spinning her laptop back around, and hit send on the e-vite. “You didn’t weigh in on a dinner spot for tonight, by the way. Did you get Mom’s texts? She feels bad for me and wants to have family time.”