Page 78 of To the Moon and Back

Fallon held up a finger. “Okay, see, that’s interesting. I thinkwe’ve made an important discovery here.”

“That I want Lauren? That’s not news.”

Fallon shook her head. “That’s the first time you’ve immediatelypushed back against anything I’ve said. And hard. Lauren was the only dealbreaker you had on the entire list. You aren’t willing to budge.” She turnedthe napkin around, and Lauren’s name in big, bold letters was the only wordleft standing with a giant circle around it.

“True. There’s no compromise there for me.” Fallon was right.There it was, crystal clear as day. Her response had been instinctual andinstantaneous with very little consideration required.

“Yet think about it, Car. You’ve allowed losing your status,something that’s not important to you in the grander scheme, separate you fromthe one thing on this list you don’t want to live without. Why?” Fallon shookher head as if this was just basic math and took a sip from that candy-applemartini that Carly should have ordered.

She closed her eyes and shaded her face with one hand. “Right. I’man idiot.”

“Interesting strategy there, champ. So fix it.”

Carly took another sip. “I’m gonna try. I’m not entirely sure how yet.But I’m gonna.” A pause. “How about I order us another round of those,” shesaid, gesturing to Fallon’s martini, “and we come up with a firm plan.”

Fallon clapped with her fingertips. “Plans are my favorite.”

* * *

Minneapolis weather did not mess around. If Carly thought theplace was cold in October, she wasn’t prepared for late November. Her minimallylined leather jacket wasn’t cutting it against the whipping winter winds. She’dhonestly known better, but larger details stole the space in her mind thesedays. She flipped the collar up and cursed herself for not pulling a scarf outof her bag.

It had been three days since Lauren left Los Angeles. Carly knewshe’d flown home because she’d posted a photo of herself reunited with Rocky toher social media accounts. They’d looked adorably snuggly, and Carly almostforgot she didn’t currently have the right to take joy in that. Instead, shebooked her own ticket for the following day, packed her bag, and set off forMinnesota.

On her way to the airport, a text from Lauren hit her phone,finally answering the string Carly had sent.

I’m sorry tohave dashed away on you. Not really thinking LA is for me. I’m sorry thingsdidn’t happen differently. I think we want different things.

Of course, it looked that way. She’d let it. More motivated thanever, Carly knew that there was no way she was having this conversation fromacross the country. She needed to look into those green eyes and tell Laurenwhat a self-involved jackass she’d been and get them back on the same page.

In her rental, she drove by Lauren’s house, but her car wasn’tthere. She made the quick jaunt to the theater, and there it was. The spunkysky blue Mini Cooper. How was it possible that even the car was a sight forsore eyes? Carly gave herself a mental pep talk as she walked up the ten stairsthat led to the building’s entrance, past the picturesque stone columns, andinto the lobby, which she knew would be unlocked during the day because the boxoffice sold advance tickets. Once inside, all she needed was for someone toopen a door to the house in the normal course of their workday, and she’d bein. Luckily, she only had to wait five minutes for that to happen.

“Carly?”

She sighed. It was that Tinsley woman. She had paint all over herarms and a red bandana around her head to keep her hair back. The new set mustbe going in forFalsettos,the production that would open next.

“Hey, there.” She followed Tinsley through the theater like shebelonged there.

“I didn’t realize you were doing any more work here,” Tinsleysaid. “Forget something?”

“Just some business to take care of.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Tinsley smiled but eyed her with suspicion. Carly didn’t care. Shewasn’t here to be friends with Tinsley, who’d never really shown her muchwarmth anyway. She proceeded to the stage management office just down the hallfrom the stage itself. Her heart thudded, her palms were sweaty, and she had aserious case of butterflies dancing a conga line through her midsection, butshe was going to fall on this damn sword because it was abundantly clear to herwhat mattered most.

Carly paused in the doorway because, God, there she was. Laurenworked quietly at the desk, laptop open, soft music playing from the radio onthe table behind her. She was a vision of beauty, focused as always as sheworked. She chewed subtly on the inside of her cheek, a common occurrence whenshe was concentrating. Carly had always loved watching her in thought.

Finally, Lauren glanced up and went still. For a moment, she saidnothing. Then her shoulders dropped slightly as if she’d been wounded. “Hi.”

Carly offered a nervous smile. “Hi.”

“I don’t understand.” She shook her head and peered behind Carlyas if to see where she came from. “What are you doing here?”

“We want the same things.” It wasn’t the most eloquent of ways toplead her case, but it was all she could think to say, her speech having flownout the window the second she laid eyes on Lauren.

“What?” Lauren was trying to wrap her mind around Carly’s surpriseappearance, and it seemed like her brain hadn’t quite caught up.

“I’m here for you. To tell you I disagree with what you said. Weboth want the same things.” Lauren stared at her, clearly unsure what to say ordo. “I don’t know why you’re back in Minneapolis, but come home with me.”

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