Page 76 of Achievement Unlocked

“I’m sorry, what did you say?” I asked.

She laughed. “Was it nice wherever you were just now?”

“It was perplexing.” One of the things I appreciated about talking to Adrienne was I never had to wonder what she was thinking. She always said it out loud.

I didn’t even know what I was thinking enough to say it to myself, and that bothered me.

“I liked the Vegas pictures this weekend,” she said. “Dustin envies your camera work.”

High praise coming from the art department, but, “How did you see…?”

“On your Insta.” Adrienne made it sound obvious.

Because it should’ve been. “I didn’t realize you followed me.”

“Dustin follows everyone in the office.” Adrienne paused. “Sorry, that sounded creepy. But I loveyourphotos. You always have the most colorful. Sonya agreed. We were looking at the lights yesterday and trying to figure out how you got such perfect composition.”

“Thanks.” I’d impressed the creatives. Go me. This was such a surreal conversation, because I was so used to hiding in my office and not being social. If Sonya knew, Jeremy knew, the only question was—how much?

Which meant this was the perfect time to resume my role as QA Troll, and retreat to my office until I could think about how to best bring the topic up with Jeremy. It wasn’t as though anything he had to say would keep me from Megan, but I’d like this new relationship to not destroy a real friendship.

“Anyway, that’s all.” Adrienne gave me a short wave and walked from the room.

Luna followed her, but paused in the doorway. “You ever wonder…”

“I wonder a lot of things,” I said.

“… If you’re the lead in a romance novel and no one thought to tell you?”

I stared at Luna, confused. “What?”

She moved closer again, twirling the plastic stick in her paper cup. “I pull three cards every morning.”

Tarot cards. I didn’t have to ask. There were days I’d been tempted to ask her to read for me. At the circus, our fortune teller had been like my surrogate grandma. She’d given me random and fascinating advice most of my childhood and teenage years, including encouraging me to leave when I did.

“Okay?” I hoped Luna would expand on the thought.

“Usually the cards are about me, but every once in a while, they’re about someone else. I didn’t know who they were for this morning until Adrienne showed me your Vegas pics. The fierce, honest, impulsive protector. The Prince of Winds, who will do anything for a Queen who’s walked through strife and fire to find herself and become independent.”

I’d always liked the storytelling that came with a good reading. “What does this prince have to do to make his queen happy?” Because I would. Anything.

Luna finally looked up from her coffee. “Find the balance they both need. Be her middle ground and Temperance.”

I was pretty sure it was the other way around—Megan was my temperance, I wasn’t hers. But Luna’s words had my brain whirring. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” Luna grinned and there was a bounce in her step as she left the room.

A strange cloud surrounded me as I headed back to my office. It was surreal sitting in my chair. No, that wasn’t the word for it. Something was missing.

Someone.

This was the same feeling I’d tried to ignore last night, cuddling with Megan. I had exactly what I wanted, and I still felt like something was missing.

Fucking Landon.

But this was the way things were supposed to be.

Luna’s mini-reading echoed in my thoughts. I shouldn’t put any stock into her words, but Temperance. Balance. I did feel like I was in the middle of something, but not in the way she described. With Megan I was in the sunshine, but I couldn’t stay there all the time. I had too many shadows in my mind.

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