Page 14 of The Now in Forever
I glance over at him, trying to read his face for a reaction. He nods, opens his mouth to speak, but then closes it again.
“What?” I say. “What is it?”
“That’s awesome. I’ve only written the two.VexandDarkslide. Well, and I’m working on my third.”
Part of me hates him for this. Massive best-seller, literary darling, on his very first book. For him, it was just that simple. It doesn’t hurt that he’s extremely easy on the eyes, but his work is also…exceptional. It’s stupid.
Not that my writing is bad. It’s finishing it. I get to the end of the book, and suddenly I’m paralyzed with fear. What if I wrote it all wrong? What if I’m not starting in the right place? How can I move forward if I don’t fix those crucial things first? The one that I nearly finished once it was finally to a place that anyone would consider complete, I sent to beta readers, and the feedback was clear. It was nowhere near done.
My thoughts are swirling, so I run my way out of them, charging up the hill, setting my destination as the guardrail and a break in the trees up ahead. Ed increases his pace, but I still make it to therail first. Not that it was a race, although if it had been, I would’ve won.
We’re both sweating and panting. I place my hands on the rickety, weathered rail, careful not to put any weight on it. If I did, I’d probably end up on the rocks below, the waves taking my body swiftly out to sea. Ed’s doubled over with his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. Since my runs are usually at high altitude, I have a slight advantage.
Once Ed catches his breath, he leans against the railing, and my stomach lurches. He has a twinkle in his eyes, one I recognize fromthat day.“I have an idea.”
My stomach tightens. Is it excitement? Anxiety? A mix of both? He said those exact words ten years ago before one of the most memorable nights of my life.
I nod, unable to look away from where his body is making contact with the old wood rail. “You shouldn’t lean on that. I don’t think it’s sturdy.”
He moves away with a small smirk. “We can help each other.”
“How?”
“I’m not suggesting we do a genre switch or anything, but I’m into the idea of adding a mystery to my book. Well, you’re readingDarkslide.What do you think of it?”
“Um…” I falter. “I’m just at the beginning.”
I start to run again, this time back down the trail and at a slower pace. Ed follows.
“It’s slow as shit. Barely anyone read it, and the people who did most likely fell asleep.”
He’s not wrong. “How can I help?”
“Well, you can help me with the tension. You're the mystery expert. What makes a page turner?”
I nod slowly. I can do that. Pacing is actually one of my strong suits. “And how are you suggesting to help me?”
“I can get you published.”
My heart skips a beat, picturing holding one of my books in my hands. But how can he promise that? Maybe I misunderstood.
“What?”
“I mean, not directly, but I can help you polish your manuscript and help with your pitch package.”
Concisely, talking about my novel is definitely not my strong suit. I’d rather write an entirely new novel than a one-sentence pitch. But I’m still not sure about this plan. I’m not sure I’m ready to let myself get close to Ed again.
“I can also introduce you to some people. My friend has a book launch party in Portland in July. You can come with me. There will be a ton of industry people and other writers there. You’ll like Bill. He’s a good dude. And there’s the Oregon Book Awards at the end of the summer. You can be my date.”
I laugh. “Your date?”
“Not like a date-date, but you can come with me. There will be a ton of agents and editors there. I can even steer a few conversations to the amazing novel you’re working on.”
“How do you know it’s amazing? You haven’t even read it.”
He smirks, and my stomach somersaults. “If it’s not already, with my help, it will be. We’ll make our own writer’s workshop.”
I would love to go to that dinner. And I wouldn’t mind a fresh pair of eyes on my manuscript, especially attractive green eyes. I sweep that thought away.No.I’m not going down that road with him again. What I meant is best-selling, been through the publishing process, professional eyes.
