Page 107 of Rosie and the Beast Next Door

“Oh, that’s all.” I kicked out a chair for him to sit in. “Tell me your plan.”

Chapter 42

Rosie

After watching a DVDof the 2005 version ofPride and Prejudicewith my brothers at the cabin,I realized two things. First, my brothers were going to revoke all of my movie-choosing privileges if I made them watch any version ofPride and Prejudiceagain. I had abused my power.

And second? Dylan Savage wastotallya Mr. Darcy.

He was never a Wickham, or a Gaston for that matter (except in looks, maybe).

He was wholly, one hundred percent the romantic lead in my personal story. And I’d just successfully imploded his life. Go me!

The next three days were filled with games, hikes, movies, and drinking our weight in hot chocolate. But mostly, it was filled with thinking. Thinking about my dad, and how I’d wanted him to heal the Dad-shaped crack in my heart, but he just wasn’t capable of doing so—which wasn’t my fault.

I also thought about how Dylan deserved to have his dream life playing hockey for the Peaks—especially after losing Shilohthe way he did. Which meant I needed to do one of the most unselfish things in my life and walk away from Dylan.

It may not even be that hard, logistically, especially if he stayed in Montana.

But emotionally? It was tearing me apart.

“If you play the ‘Make Me Sob’ playlist one more time, I’m throwing your phone in the ocean,” Jules grumbled. I snatched my phone from off the counter and stuffed it in my shirt, where Lia singing about heartbreak was muffled against my chest.

“My headphones were left at the Savages,” I reminded him, then sang along with the lyrics on the top of my lungs. Bennett joined in, sounding a little too heartfelt. I gave him some hard side eye. If he was thinking about Lily right now, I was going to throw my phone in the ocean myself.

Not willing to risk it, I fished my phone out and scrolled through my other downloaded playlists. Falling For You. My Dream Man. Desperate Love Songs.

Finally I found one called: Charlie’s List. It was filled with happy, positive songs full of snapping and clapping, telling you to get up and dance.

“This is worse,” Jules said with a groan as he left the kitchen and headed outside. He was the only one of us committed enough to the outside world to find cell service. To be fair, Haydn had used the satellite phone every night to check in with his wife, Lia.

Bennett’s eyes lit up and he sang along with the happier song. He held out his hand and pulled me out of the chair. “Dance with me,” he said.

We danced around the kitchen in our socked feet, singing at the top of our lungs, and more of the sadness from the last few days melted away. Bennett took my hand and turned me around and around until the room spun, and I fell onto the couch breathless and laughing.

I stared at the spinning ceiling and inhaled deeply. I might not have everything I wanted. But I was going to be okay. Eventually.

I wasn’t ready toleave the cabin, but it was time to get back to real life.

Or so my brothers said. I wasn’t completely convinced.

“We could grow our own garden,” I told them as we trudged toward the dinghies. Well, I trudged. They used their huge legs to take one step for every four of mine. “Be self-sustaining. Off the grid. Mountain men—and woman. Doesn’t that sound amazing?”

“Nope,” Haydn said, marching forward with purpose.

“I’ll promise to never make you watch Jane Austen again.”

“Who?” Haydn asked and was pummeled by Jules’s and Bennett’s fists.

“She’ll make us watch the rest of them, dummy.”

“Use Google next time you have a question.”

“As a good faith gesture,” I yelled over them, “if we stay on this island forever, I’ll let you all pick the movies from here on out.”

They stopped wrestling. “Everymovie?” Jules asked. He looked out at his Wi-Fi hill, as if debating if he could really do it.

“Even the really bad car chasey ones,” I said generously.

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