Not that I’d ever met Lew Elliot. But I just knew.
No one with such a rich imagination—someone who created wonderful worlds—could be a bad person.
He was probably the kind of guy you’d meet for a pint in the local pub on a Friday night and talk aboutWriter’s Digest.
The kind of guy who would’ve been best buddies with Dad.
I rolled onto my back, stretching my limbs. The memory of the Instagram post invaded my mind—the one about John’s relationship troubles.
Maybe that’s why he was doing this whole competition thing.
Taking part must feel like a near-certain victory for him. Boost his ego a little.
But I wouldn’t let that happen. Not without a fight.
I needed to ban all John Kater related thoughts from my head immediately.
Maybe I should buy the human equivalent of a shock collar and zap myself every time my thoughts went to him.
My foot bumped against my laptop.
My last written line read:
“—and then something awesome happened.”
Sometimes present-Nora hated past-Nora.
Minutes later, the sun attacked my eyes like tiny daggers.
I had the vague memory of someone knocking on my door.
Pain radiated from my temples.
I caught my reflection in the mirror hanging from the back of the door.
My hair stuck up in all directions. I had dark circles. And with my striped bra, I resembled a slutty Beetlejuice Halloween costume.
Thank god this was a brains-not-beauty competition.
I rolled my ass out of bed and tied the duvet around me like a toga.
Today’s Nora would get a head start.
Today’s Nora would show that she meant business.
By the time the others joined, I’d be scrubbed, caffeinated, and ready to exorcize John Kater out of my mind.
I trotted into the kitchen and filled the espresso maker, scanning the contents of the fridge by prodding and sniffing things?—
—when I heard a sound behind me.
I turned and stared at May.
“Fuck,” I swore. Pain shot through my foot.
I hadn’t watched where I’d been going and had stubbed my toe on the corner of the kitchen island.
“You okay?” she asked, slipping in through the now-open patio doors.
