Page 5 of Battle of the Exes

Ivy

Friday comes faster than it ever does. I take a quick call from Rue, reassuring her that I am indeed coming.

“There’s something you should know—” she says.

My mind is on all the work I need to complete before leaving town. “Hold that thought,” I say, cutting her off. “I gotta run. See you very soon!” I blow a kiss, ending the call.

I tap open my file and finish typing my reply to the Almost Ready chicken lady, pleased with how it looks. I can imagine the sort of feedback the column will receive online. Everything from supportive empathizers to appalled vegans. Exactly what my editor wants.

I love my job and most of the people I interact with. Even if the competition can be brutal.

I send the column off to the editor, relieved to have it done. My thoughts go back to my call with Rue.

Latent emotions swarm through me as I swivel my chair to look out on the river. The gray clouds have settled over the water.

The weekend, like my new mood, is off to a dreary start.

At five on the dot, I grab my laptop and briefcase and say goodbye to Mimi.

“Good luck,” she says.

As I pass her desk, I spot a deck of tarot cards tucked beneath the last print edition ofThe Daily Record. A hybrid of shameless tabloid and honest reporting, figuring out which is which is left up to the reader. Their unofficial motto is,All the News that’s Fit to Spin.They run my column weekly.

“What do you see?” I say, nodding towards the cards.

She follows my gaze then shuffles the deck, pulling out a card with a flourish, her expression focused as she flips it onto the desk. Mimi’s brow lifts in surprise. “It’s good.”

“Oh?” I say, more in the way of showing I’m interested in her hobbies than in believing in this woo-woo stuff. Besides, I could use some positive tidings.

“It’s the love card, it’s heading your way.”

My laughter must be heard at the other end of the floor. Love is most definitely not in the cards for me.

I’m a superstar at my job but love—that ship has sailed—and sunk—long ago. Once burned, twice shy and all that.

“Nice try, Mimi.” She’s been pushing me to sign up on the dating apps.

“I promise, it’s legit.”

As if anything with tarot is legit. But I smile and shrug. “I guess time will tell.”

I blow her a kiss, request an Uber, and hurry to the elevator. There’s just enough time for a quick wardrobe change at home before heading to the airport.

I’m still laughing at Mimi’s prediction when the car arrives.

Chapter Four

Ivy

They say you can’t go home again and yet here I am, driving down Main Street, marveling at how little has changed. The sun is mid-sky, turning the snowy peaks that ring the valley into glistening diamonds.

Crystalline lakes, meadows filled with wildflowers. It’s objectively breathtaking.

The local market has doubled in size, and the Italian bistro is now a real estate office, but the quaint village remains much as I remember it. Still, this little town holds its own with an annual parade, Oktoberfest, and a world-class community theater. If things had been different, I never would have left. But theyweredifferent. Fate had otherplans.

I deliberately park a few blocks from the bookstore, grappling with a mix of emotions. I fled this place years ago, desperate to get my life back on track. I couldn’t get out of here fast enough. It was equal parts running to a new life and escaping an old one. When I was offered syndication, any thought of returning was quickly overlooked.

I don’t let myself fall farther down that rabbit hole. It was a lifetime ago, the wounds scabbed over.

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