Page 62 of Wrapped in You

Jeremy nodded. "I never wanted you to think I would purposely hurt someone." He paused. "And you know, I wantyou to be happy." He blinked. "I know I wasn't kind. But I'm going to try to be better in the future. I learned a lot from you."

Sophie smiled and watched him walk down the front step and turn out of sight.

It wouldn't be the last time she saw him. Willow Creek was a small town, after all. Maybe she'd run into him at the coffee shop; perhaps she'd catch him on a date with someone else at The Thirsty Bucket. Maybe they'd reach for the same can of beans at the grocery store and have a good laugh about it.

But their story was finally over.

Thank goodness.

Chapter Twenty

Sophie returned to set the following morning with buckets of Christmas cookies and nothing to lose. All night, she'd had muddled dreams—dreams of Jeremy and Derek, of past versions of herself she no longer related to, and of future ideas of her life she couldn't fully name. In one startling image, she'd found herself floating in a turquoise pool in Los Angeles as Derek sat at the edge, a cocktail in his hand. He'd been smiling at her. And then he'd said something. What was it?

"Earth to Sophie!" Randy's voice yanked her back to set.

Sophie laughed and filled a mug with coffee for herself.

"Sorry," she said. "I'm having trouble waking up today."

"How was your day off?" Randy asked as he pulled buckets of breakfast foods onto the catering table and clapped his hands.

"My sister and I went for a long drive," Sophie said dreamily. "Don't you just love to drive and drive through the snowy woods, talking about everything?"

Randy smiled. "Fiona and I do that all the time."

The cast and crew were still arriving, milling through their new setup outside the Willow Creek courthouse. Today, they were filming the "epilogue" scene, in which Natalie and Brent's characters get married and run down the courthouse steps andinto the snowy streets. From where she stood, Sophie could barely see Natalie in a trailer, wearing a white wedding dress and getting her makeup done. Brent was already in his "wedding" tuxedo, chatting with the sound guys nearby.

Sophie scanned the crew for signs of Derek. Where was he? Usually, he was one of the very first on set, dressed all in black, his wild curls whipping through the early morning winds. But today? The assistant director was seated in Derek's chair. What did that mean? Were directors allowed to take the day off?

The assistant director spoke into the microphone a few minutes later. "Places, everyone. I want to get this shot before the light changes."

Sophie's heart pounded. She felt as though Derek was a ghost that had disappeared through a wall and floated into the ether.

Is this what it means to be ghosted?she wondered. She'd heard the expression online and in television shows, but she'd never imagined she'd experience it herself.

Was Derek going to quit the film to get away from me?

Suddenly, Sophie felt as though she was going to collapse. Her stomach seized.

"You okay, boss?" Randy asked, touching her arm. "You look a little green."

Sophie forced a smile and hurried to finish her morning tasks. "I'm fine! Maybe I ate something weird last night."

"I can always call in reinforcements," Randy reminded her. "You can go home whenever you like."

But Sophie didn't want to go home. All she would do there was wander around her living room, staring at the Christmas tree and remembering the brief yet intoxicating afternoon she and Derek had spent together.

Cindy texted her a few minutes later.

CINDY: Have you seen your lovable Grinch yet?

Sophie flared her nostrils and typed back:

He disappeared!

Cindy texted back immediately, but Sophie didn't have the heart to read it. She didn't need more reassurance from her sister.

She wanted to run into the snowy woods and cry and cry.

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