Page 139 of Prelude To You

“My proclivities don’t include torture by constant heartbreak, Meg. I beg you, please get off my case.”

The tears now leaked from my eyes, and Meg was torn between being the good friend allowing me to ditch BelmontManor for the purpose of keeping my sanity intact, and forcing me to confront my demons and give the handsome billionaire another clean shot at my already splintered heart.

While mulling over her decision King-Solomon style, Meg plucked some tissues from a box and handed them to me.

“I love you and I’m your best friend forever,” she said. “We’ve been through some crazy stuff together, and if you decide this is the best way to go, I’ll support you, and I’ll never question your decision… But allow me to say one little thing before you slam the guillotine down on what could have been the romance of the century.”

It took a few tissues to clean up the mess that had become my face. “Oh God, here we go. What?”

“You don’t think after this one-in-a-trillion chance of running into him again, at the place where you work no less, that the Universe is telling you something?”

“Meg, listen. I love you too. No one could ask for a better best friend. But just to be clear, the Universe has screwed the pooch with this whole deal. All I want to do is go on with my life as if none of it ever happened.”

“But what about Harry? Won’t you feel like shit if Harry dies without you stopping them from pulling the plug?”

“His name is Henry. And two days ago you were all about me confronting reality and accepting the fact that if they wanted to switch off those machines there was nothing I could do to stop it.”

“That was then,” Meg said. “This is now and I feel a little more concerned for him. Sue me. And here you are, making rash decisions when you’re the only one who can keep him alive.”

“Meg, you said you were going to support me in whatever decision I make.”

“Well, yeah. Of course. Then here’s to hoping they keep the machines on. All I’m sayin’.”

I bit my lip and studied my nails, heart hammering in my chest. The nightmare had definitely done a number on me.

Meg’s voice dropped. ‘I’m sorry I was so pushy. Are you gonna be okay?”

“This is all so fucking surreal.”

“Surreal and super freaky,” Meg said, and crawled into the empty space beside me. “I’ll stay here tonight and help you fight those nightmares. And tomorrow morning you’ll feel better and we can review your decision.”

“I’m not changing my mind.”

Meg’s head sank into the pillow, and she pulled the quilt up to her nose. “Fine. Then I suppose theprofiterolesare now up for grabs?”

But before I could answer her, she was asleep, her soft snore giving me more comfort than I cared to admit. I set my alarm to go off early so I could text Emily about my decision. The last thing I wanted was for George to drive all the way out here when I wasn’t going back.

I switched off the bed lamp and stared up at the roof, where shadows danced in scant moonlight. My decision was the right one. Definitely. No question. Going back to Belmont Manor was looking for trouble. The kind of trouble where you lost your mind, crawled into a corner mumbling incoherently and braided your hair before throwing lunch at the wall.

The thought of never seeing Emily, or Nelson, or George again made my stomach twist into a painful knot. Resentment washed over me. Of all the places in the world, why did he have to live there? There was no doubt that an agonizing few days, or even weeks, lay ahead.

But my decision was final.

I could never go back to Belmont Manor again.

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