Page 122 of Not in My Book

I opened my mouth, but she covered it with her hand.

“And before you protest, just think about it. This isn’t the big sister I grew up with. How many times have you told me that love shouldn’t be easy when Peter and I got in a fight?”

“Yeah, but it shouldn’thurt.”

“Maybe,” she conceded. “Love fights through dark and light. It’s not always easy, Rosie. The fights, the disagreements can hurt, but at least you know you’re fightingforsomething. It’s not the biggest war you’ll ever fight, but it can be a battle sometimes.” She stood from my bed and smiled down at me. “You’re gonna be fine. Write something good.” She paused. “For the baby?”

“I’m spoiling them for the rest of their life. You’ll rue the day you used them against me.”

“Do what you do best, Rosie Posie.”

When she left my room, the sun was just beginning to set in Tennessee. Soft light filled through the slats of my blinds, landing on my laptop. I groaned, taking the sign from the universe. I hobbled from my bed to my desk, lifted the top of my laptop, and began to write.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

A week later, my phone rang, Ida’s name flashing across it. I only had her number because I’dbeggedher to give it to me so I could send her a link to a fanfic (that she never responded to). She made me swear to only call her for emergencies.

My hand lingered over my phone, nerves spreading throughout me. And before I could think better of it, I hit the green button and answered.

“Hello?”

“Rosie? Is that you?”

I relaxed against the headboard of my bed. “Yeah. Hi, professor.”

She paused, most likely unnerved that I’d called herprofessor. The first and only time I’d done that before was when we first met, and she’d immediately corrected me.

“I hope it’s okay that I’m calling you,” she said softly. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about how we left things and I feel horrible. I wanted to apologize again and try to convince you to come back to NYU.”

“Oh, I don’t know.” I looked down, playing with a fraying string from my blanket. My throat was thick with the threat of tears. It hadn’t been an easy decision to leave. I missed New York every day, but I couldn’t go back and walk streets that would only remind me of him.

“I just finished your book. What you and Aiden have is such a rare talent, and I really hope you’ll reconsider. You’re an amazing writer, Rosie. Those last few chapters were amazing.”

I rolled my eyes. “Well, Aiden wrote the last few chapters so talk to him about it. I haven’t even read them.”

“What?” Her voice sharpened. “You didn’t read them?”

“I know that could get me in trouble, but I dropped out. So if you have to take it out on someone’s grade, make it Aiden’s.”

“No, Rosie, I think you really need to read them,” she said, her voice strained.

“No.”

“Rosie,” she said urgently. “I don’t want to tell you what’s in them, but—”

“Then don’t,” I cut her off. “Ichosenot to read them. I have no interest in reading them, and I don’t ever plan to. I appreciate you calling and apologizing but it’s no use.” I sighed, tears forming again in the back of my throat. “Thank you for everything, but I need to go.”

I hung up without another word and sunk into my bed, tears streaming down my face. Part of me was curious about how Aiden had tied it all up. But I wasn’t really in the mood to read how Hunter got promoted to CEO and Max was hit by a bus. I turned over in my bed, soaking my pillow with tears.

Later that night, my mom called for me from downstairs.

“Rosie. ¡Tienes un visitante!”

I rolled my eyes. My old high school principal had been bugging me to start subbing at the high school.

“¿Quién?” I called back.

“Ven abajo y mira.”

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