Page 138 of Pierce Me

Manuela: Eff the therapist.

Faith: MANU!

Manuela: Sorry, sorry, I’m so sorry.

Eden: It’s ok.

Manuela: I’m sorry, but I had to say it. Go on, Eden, brush past the ugly stuff. I’m with you. What’s after the ugly stuff?

Eden: It’s me, now. Who I have become, who I am becoming. A girl, a woman. I’m in love with him, but not again. For the first time. I’m in love with him as myself. You know?

Manuela: I’m trying to.

Eden: I am me now. And as me, I am in love with him. That’s not the same as being in love as a victim. It’s a whole different thing.

Manuela:How much in love are we talking here?

Eden: I mean, he just glances in my general direction, and I start trembling.

Faith: Oh, En.

Eden: And there’s more stuff. But it’s all happening tome. Me. I’m in love with him, as me. As myself. As me. As me.

Manuela: Yes, girl. Own it. As yourself. Eden freaking Elliot.

Faith: EDEN FREAKING ELLIOT.

Eden: I think I like ‘Freaking’ as my middle name more than my real middle name. You know, the… that evil man kind of destroyed the middle name ‘Persuasion’ for me.

Faith: You’ll get it back, En. We’ll get it back for you, even if we have to go to hell to pry it from that bastard’s cold, dead fingers.

Manuela: Not to be too dramatic or anything, but yeah, we will.

Eden: Well, whatever. Who cares about that now? I have bigger problems.

Faith: You do?

Eden: Yes, I do. You know why I’m telling you this, right?

Eden: I can’t stay here if I’m in love.

Corfu

twenty-nine

There is no boat this time. Just me flying to Corfu by myself for one purpose only. The rest of the crew have flown back to Athens, frenziedly rehearsing for the concert. We’re three days out, but this can’t wait.

I text Spencer and ask him—beg him—to meet me.

I could ask him to fly to come to me, but he and his girlfriend only got back from Vermont two days ago. They were filming a period piece, which he is going to be producing. He’s asked me to write a few songs for the score, and I know that my brother has already sent him music. The films are based on a book series of Regency romances that take place in Greece during the Greek Revolution of 1821. Apparently, the story of how Wes acquired the rights to theRakes and Ruinseries is already legend on fan sites all over the internet.

Skye, who has been reading them, told me that as soon as Spencer found those books, he contacted the author personally, asking for permission to produce film adaptations of them. There would be no studio behind the production. Just himself and his indie company which is only just starting. He didn’t write the script, but he is directing as well as acting, as far as I know. He loves directing so much.

Weston Spencer, making his own dreams come true.

Who would have thought?

If there is anyone who can help me, it’s him.