Page 35 of Paper Hearts & Plot Twists

With the final instructions exchanged, Mason headed toward the signing and Miles settled at the desk with his computer to get to work. He opened his document and started typing, quickly sucked into the message he was working to create.

Chapter 25

Bodies pressed into her from every direction. Emily stood up on the tip of her toes, trying to make out anything over the crush and roar of the crowd, but being only 5‘4“ didn’t help. She stepped back and leaned against the wall, grounding herself in its steadying presence. She watched as men and women moved around her with frantic energy.

This was the first signing of the conference, and she likened it to the Hunger Games. Emily loved books and she loved to meet the masterminds behind the stories, but she didn’t have it in her to fight crowds to make that happen, and some of the insane lines made her want to head back to her room, curl up in a ball on the bed, and read a book instead. Was a signature really worth this?

She glanced back at the door. It wouldn’t be all that difficult to do just that. It would be easier to get to the door than to get to over half of these author tables with the amount of people crushing around the space, not to mention the rolling carts several people were dragging around to carry their purchased and signed books.

Emily pressed a hand to her tote bag. It was large by her standards and could comfortably fit half a dozen books, maybe more if she got creative with placing them in the bag. Several attendees brought fancy boxes that reminded her of suitcases. They were plastic with tops that opened into space for books, but closed they made a comfortable seat, perfect for standing in line for who knows how long. Emily blinked in shock at the line to Lucy Score’s table, wrapping around the entire conference room. Emily liked several of her books, but that line would take a special level of devotion and dedication to join.

She started to make her way through the room, stopping when there was an author with a line of two or three to get a book or chat with the author. But for the most part she wandered, staying away from the ultra-busy tables. Those authors had enough fans to talk with. Emily was happy that her conference ticket came with access to all events, like the teas and brunches, because she’d already met many of the authors on her list at one of those.

Emily wandered into the fantasy section of the conference. She usually didn’t read fantasy, preferring romance, romantasy, or poetry, but Miles and his to-die-for smile was making her rethink her ways lately.

Emily’s eyes widened when she saw a table with the name “Tamora Pierce” at the front. She wriggled from foot to foot in the semblance of a happy dance and bounced over to the table, jumping in behind the four other people already standing there. Tamora Pierce primarily wrote young adult books and Emily credited the author for getting her into chapter books in the first place. She was also to blame, Emily was sure, for her fixation on older men with twinkling eyes and wry grins. Miles’s hazel eyes came to mind.

“I didn’t know you were signing here,” Emily breathed as she stepped up to the table once the other attendees stepped away.

“I was a last-minute addition, but I’m glad I was able to come see all of my wonderful fans,” Tamora responded.

“May I have a copy of Tempests and Slaughter signed to Emily, please?” she asked, staring at the latest book on the table.

“Of course,” Tamora said, pulling the book closer to her and opening it to the title page. She wrote, “To Emily, may you always find magic and adventure in this life. Tamora Pierce.” Emily accepted the book, taking it delicately in hand.

“I want you to know that I credit you for single-handedly turning me into the avid reader and aspiring writer that I am today.”

“Everyone needs someone to inspire them. I’m glad I could be that inspiration for you.”

“Your books are amazing. I’m so glad you’re still writing and I can read what you craft,” Emily said, taking her purchase and gently settling it into her tote bag among the other books she’d received. Her ticket for the book conference came with ten free books, and she was already at four. There was another signing to go to as well. Emily wished she had the funds to go wild and buy all the books that interested her, but at the moment that wasn’t close to a possibility. If only she was Belle and was forced to live in Beast’s castle with his fancy library and sliding library ladder. That was the main reason she was so zealous about the scavenger hunt; the winner would get enough books to make her dreams come true.

Emily zig-zagged through the crowd, making her way to Miles’s table. She decided that she’d seen what she needed to today, and she wanted to see how her roommate was doing at the event they’d worked so hard together preparing for.

Turning the corner, she smiled at the line that was building at his table. It was one of the larger lines—though Lucy Score was still the overall winner—and she loved that for him. She watched him interact with a fan, signing a book and handing it to her. She stepped closer to the table, skipping over the line, and paused, realizing something was wrong.

Emily scanned Miles’s features. She knew right away this wasn’t Miles. He looked close enough, but there was something off. His smile was just a little too smug, his hair just a little too dark, his body just a little too off. Nothing outright, but quite obvious when you’d spent the last day staring into those hazel eyes and memorizing those features.

Emily stepped up to the table and bumped shoulders with the man as the current attendee was walking away, newly signed book in hand. “Hi, stranger,” she said.

“Hello,” he responded, slowly. He glanced at Emily out of the corner of his eye, and then turned to the next person in line for the signing. They spoke for about a minute before this person was off to their next author.

“You have to be the twin brother,” Emily mused in a whisper, careful to keep her voice down so the other attendees weren’t alerted to the switch, “because you are definitely not Miles.”

“Of course I’m Miles,” he argued, his eyes narrowing into a glare. “I’m here signing the books I wrote, at the event for authors and fans. Why on earth would my twin come and do that for me?”

“I’m wondering the same thing,” Emily said, staring into hazel eyes that were clones of the ones she’d been looking into over the last two days. Miles’s were identical but somehow warmer and more inviting. “But I was just with Miles over lunch, and as close as the two of you look, it’s not close enough.”

He stared at her for a moment and then leaned in close, “What gave it away?”

Emily shrugged. “A few things, I suppose. Miles has a bit grayer near the temple and sprinkled in his hair. You look a bit smugger in general than Miles ever does. You also run a tiny bit smaller than Miles.”

The man laughed, his eyes sparkling. “I don’t think anyone but our mama has caught on to us impersonating each other this quickly.”

Emily blushed and shrugged. “I’ve been spending a bit of time with Miles. Of course I’d notice a change.”

“Help me with this signing and tell me about it. I need something to hold over that nerd’s head.” He turned back to the next attendee and flashed an award-winning smile. He stepped around the table and posed for a picture with her at her insistence. Whoever this twin was, he was used to people fawning over him, and he reacted like this was a normal day and a natural response.

“It doesn’t look like you need any help,” Emily whispered. “You have these people eating out of the palm of your hand.”

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