Page 100 of A Novel Love Story

31

Statues and Limitations

ISTEPPED THROUGH THE PERGOLA,and down the shadowy alley to the courtyard. The soft trickle of the fountain rebounded off the brick buildings, and a starling trilled in one of the trees. In my pocket, my phone vibrated. I took it out.

There was another text from Prudence—How’s the trip?

And then a third—Hello???

So therewasreception here. But why? The deeper I went into the alleyway, sure enough the half a bar turned into a full bar, then two.

My phone vibrated twice more as a text and an email came in. The email was from my dean, asking me when I was coming back to campus because she needed someone to fill in for an adjunct professor in Summer II sessions, and the text—

Well, there were actually a lot of them.

First one from Olivia, then Ben, then three from Aditi, and a few Ron Swanson GIFs from Matt. I decided to let them all come in before I tried to decipher what was from whom. At least I knew my friends were worried about me—though,of course they were, they were my friends. And, from a cursory glance, I knew that Pru had told them I’d taken the trip alone.

Why didn’t Anders tell me I’d get a signal here?

I texted Pru first—

Hi, I’m alive! Sorry for worrying you. <3 And CONGRATULATIONS!!! I am so, so happy for you both. Can’t wait to hear the details.

The message went, and I waited for her to respond as I made my way toward the fountain. The forgotten courtyard looked peaceful in the late afternoon. The shadows from the trees were long, painting everything a lovely shade of gold, speckled with flares of awakening fireflies as they drifted across the tall grass.

And if Anders had only come to town after Bea left, after the last book in the series, and this courtyard with it … they had to be connected somehow, right? The statues half-buried in the four o’clock felt more than a little important now. Were all the statues of Anders? As I pulled the vines off them, some of the faces were still strangers to me. Again and again, repeated with slightly different variations and then discarded, like the sculptor couldn’t quite get any of them right. Some of them had scratched-out names on their palms, or behind their ears, but I could only make out one—

A. S.

Those initials. The same from Anders’ chess club T-shirt. A was his first name. Anderson. S was … Smith? No, Rachel Flowers would never.

I traced the stoic brow of one of the half-buried statues of Anders, when my phone pinged loudly. It startled me out of my thoughts, and I quickly checked the screen. It was the book club chat.

You owe me a drink, Janelle texted.I lost ten years of my life worrying!!

Matt texted,WE THOUGHT U WERE DEAD.

Aditi added,I read a true crime story where they found BODIES in OIL BARRELS. It was in New Hampshire but that’s close right??

I found myself smiling as Olivia chastised Aditi over geography, and Janelle asked if I’d heard the news.

I did!!I texted.I’m so happy for her.

ABOUT. DAMN. TIME, Janelle agreed.And you’re okay? Pru told us … are you AT the cabin?

No, I replied truthfully, but figured the rest of it might’ve been a little more unbelievable, so I told them the simple bit: my car broke down in a small town, and I’d been waiting for it to get fixed ever since.

Cute town??Olivia asked.

Then Benji, sweet and attentive Benji, texted,What’s the name of the town? Do you need a ride?

Right, because he lived in New York City. I winced.No, I texted back.And I can’t remember the name of it—I’m fine! The bookstore owner here rented me the loft above his shop. I’ll text y’all when I get to the cabin. It won’t be the same without everyone. <3

Next year, Janelle swore, and I liked the sound of that.

I sat against the fountain, and tilted my head all the way back to look at the stars. The sky was beginning to clot again with rain clouds, though it was becoming a normal sight for me. It must’ve been the slowly changing rainstorms blowing in for the evening. I knew I should leave before the rain started. So I grabbed my purse and opened it up to put my phone into the front pocket, when I noticed that the book inside had a title on the spine again.

DAFFODIL DAYDREAMS

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