28. The Relationship Expert

28

The Relationship Expert

Emma

Way too many things are happening at once, and yet again, I’m having a hard time processing my emotions. I used to have a limited range—pissed off, really grumpy, slightly less grumpy, tolerating life, tolerating it a little more, and blissed out by a good book. Now, it’s all over the place, running the gamut from excitement to confusion and swooning. Yes, swooning . My life is a mess.

But how can I not swoon when Auston tells me he’s going to organize my birthday party himself? We’re talking about a man who has assistants and managers organizing his entire life. And yet he won’t let anyone else handle this? Talk about confusing. Why am I not pissed off about this? I should be. I don’t like people spending money on me. But here I am, swooning . And excited.

But I don’t have time to process those emotions, because Melissa Fortner just arrived, and Auston—who read her book without my knowledge—is introducing me to her. Everything about this situation is unreal.

“And this is Emma,” he says, his eyes flitting toward me. “One of the bookstore owners, and a major reason why this adaptation is going to be a huge success. She helped me nail down Diego’s character and has made a few pertinent comments.”

“A few?” Clarence teases with a pointed look, and we all laugh.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Emma,” Melissa says, offering me a warm smile as she shakes her head. “Thank you for your dedication to the book.”

“I love it. It’s only one of my favorite books in the entire world. And I usually read Dark Romance, so that’s saying something,” I blurt out in a single breath, like a kid reciting a well-rehearsed speech—though that’s not far from the truth. I’ve spent the last fifteen minutes brainstorming what I was going to say to her. Though it didn’t exactly come out as intended.

“I’m flattered.” She smiles.

“Well, then. Should we resume shooting?” Clarence asks, and everyone nods or murmurs their agreement.

“I’ll watch from over here with Emma,” Melissa says, winking at me, and I almost melt on the floor. What a shame that the girls don’t come back until tomorrow! I wish they’d had the chance to meet her.

Melissa and I move to a spot behind Clarence, then wait as everyone gets settled in. I finally regain the ability to speak and begin chatting with her normally—ish. I spot Mari lingering a few paces away and wave at her. She hurries toward us, her eyes glowing.

I angle myself to face the world-class author standing beside me. “This is my friend, Marissa. She owns the coffee shop across the street. And she’s a frequent customer at our store.”

Mari beams. “Hi. I’m a big fan.”

“Nice to meet you,” Melissa says, shaking her hand. “Your street is so cute. It’s like you have a small-town situation right here in the city.”

Mari chuckles. “It does feel like it.”

I grin. “Definitely. My two bes t friends—and co-owners—both found love on this street. One with the other friend’s brother, and the second one with the bar owner next door.”

Melissa laughs, clasping her hands. “I knew it.”

“And what about you, Emma?” Mari prods, giving me an insistent look. “How’s everything going?”

I steal a glance at Auston, who’s getting into position in front of the store. “It’s not going. Things are weird. I don’t know. Nothing is happening.”

“Oh,” Melissa says with a smirk. “It’s definitely not nothing.” She steals a side glance at Auston. “I knew I was catching a vibe.”

“Wow. You’re good,” Mari breathes out, bobbing her head.

“Really?” I quirk an eyebrow.

“You and Auston?” Melissa tilts her head. “No doubt. If there’s one thing I’m never wrong about, it’s relationships. That is my specialty, after all.” She winks.

Mari bumps my shoulder with hers. “See? It’s her specialty.”

Another swirl of emotions barrels through me, and I feel like a human tornado. Spinning and spinning without any control over where I’m going to land. Melissa Fortner, the Queen of Romance, just said there wa s a vibe between me and Auston. I can’t ignore this thing anymore. It’s too big.

Yes, I feel like a raging twister right now. And even if I have no idea where I’m going, I know I’ll take down everything in my wake. The big question is, will I survive this, or will I self-destruct in the process?

The rest of yesterday went by in a flash, and I spent most of it hanging out with Melissa and Mari. After a while, it almost felt like we were just three ordinary friends chatting about life and love. She really is the best. I’m thrilled I got to meet her in person.

She was also beyond excited about the movie. Clarence showed her more footage on his screen, and she declared it was exactly like she envisioned it—the best compliment she could bestow on Clarence and his team.

She also signed four copies of Velvet Kisses for me so I could give one to each of the girls. We even took a few selfies. Best day ever.

I still haven’t processed my emotions, and I’m hoping to seek my best friends' help when they get back. I’ve been pacing for over an hour, tugging at the hem of my pink No Shelf Control shirt. Their plane lan ded a while ago, but they’re not here yet.

Mr. Darcy raises his head from where he’s sleeping in the reading nook, and I perk my ears to listen.

There’s definitely a clamor coming from the street, and since they’re not shooting today, it can only mean one thing—my best friends are back.

I hurry to the front door, holding my breath. There they are in the staircase, bags under their eyes and in their hands, but finally home.

“You’re back!” I yell, struggling to rein in my joy.

They both give me their biggest smiles. “We’re back!”

I help them haul their things upstairs, and we fall into the longest group hug we’ve had since we’ve known each other. Dang, it’s good to have these girls back.

“We missed you, Emz,” Alice says, taking my face into her hands.

“So much,” Hayley adds, a hand on my shoulder.

And that’s when I realize something. They might have found the loves of their lives, jetting off to foreign destinations with their beaus, but they’ll always be my best friends. Our bond is unbreakable, and nothing will ever come between us. I’m certain of that now.

“Okay, tell us everything that happened while we were gone,” Alice says, dropping her purse on the kitchen chair before skipping to the living room. “Starting with Melissa Fortner!”

“Oh, yes! How was it? I’m so happy for you,” Hayley says, following Alice and plopping onto the couch.

I narrow my eyes. “You’re the ones coming back from a two-week vacation in France. Don’t you think you get dibs on storytelling?”

“Yeah. It was great,” Hayley says, nodding eagerly. “Love France.”

“So great,” Alice agrees. “I was particularly excited to have real bread again. Now, your turn.”

I laugh, ambling to the living room. “Okay, fine. I’ll tell you everything.”

I describe the day I met Melissa, then give them their signed copies before catching them up on the movie and the changes we made. I’m avoiding the subject of Auston for now, not sure how to approach it.

“Wow.” Alice’s brown eyes fly wide. “That’s a lot.”

“Right.” Hayley nods.

“What about you and Auston, though?” Alice presses. “That’s the story development I’m most eager for.”

I lift my eyebrows. “Really?”

She waves a hand in dismissal. “Okay, fine. Second.”

My mouth twists, and I fidget with the seam of the couch pillow. “Well, I’m not exactly sure what’s happening, or what I’m feeling.” My heart i s now pumping a mile a minute, and I’m struggling to catch up.

“What do you mean?” Hayley asks. “Are you not faking it anymore?”

I wince. “Well, I’m not. But as for him, I don’t know.”

“Wait. You like him for real?” Alice asks, perched on the edge of her seat.

“I think so.” I bite my lip. “But I don’t know what to think.”

“Oh my goodness.” She jumps from the couch and wraps me in a hug. “That’s huge. I knew it.”

I look to Hayley for support, but she just shrugs. “She did call it.”

“Our little Emma is in love,” Alice says, clasping her hands. “I’m so happy, I could cry.”

I roll my eyes. “Please don’t. There’s nothing to tear up about. My feelings might be . . . blurry, but he hasn’t shown any romantic interest in me. At least, not that I’ve noticed. Melissa says she caught a vibe, but—”

“You discussed your relationship with Melissa Fortner?” Hayley asks, her jaw dropping.

“Oh, yeah. Only for a few minutes, but she was more useful than Beth and Mari put together. Which makes sense, I guess.”

“What is happening here?” Ali ce shakes her head incredulously, looking at Hayley. “Everything looks the same, but it feels like we’ve returned to a different reality. You’re the expert on fantasy and paranormal. Do something.”

Hayley purses her lips. “That concept would be more sci-fi, but you have a point. It is all very weird. And Mr. Darcy is sleeping in the reading nook. So bizarre.”

I chuckle at their antics, and they both freeze, staring at me.

“Yeah, nothing about this is normal,” Hayley confirms. “You look different, laughing and all relaxed. And that shirt . . .”

I frown, looking down. “What’s wrong with my shirt? Even if the bookstore is closed, I can still wear our merch.”

“It’s a pink one!” Alice exclaims. “I’ve never seen you wear anything but black or dark gray. Not that it’s a bad look,” she adds. “Just different.”

“Well, I feel different,” I sigh. They wonder what happened? Auston Buckley broke me, that's what happened.

“But I mean it, I love this look on you, Emz. And I’m not just talking about the shirt.”

Hayley nods. “Absolutely.”

“You do?” I furrow my eyebrows. “But I don’t even know what I’m feeling. I’m so lost, so confused. I’ve been wandering around aimlessly for days.” Fighting with your subconscious and inner feelings is not fun.

“Don’t worry, we’re back now,” Hayley says. “And we’re going to help you figure this out.”

How could they, when I don’t even know where to start?

“When are we seeing Auston again?” Alice asks, drawing her brown hair into a ponytail.

I massage my temples, groaning. “He’s personally throwing me a birthday party on Saturday.”

They both gasp, then Alice smiles. “Emz, I think Melissa is onto something. If the guy’s throwing you a birthday party, there’s definitely something going on.”

Hayley nods. “You’re one lucky girl.”

I sink into the couch, my heart hammering at the thought of Auston organizing my birthday. The butterflies take flight again, but this time, I welcome them. Hayley’s right. For the first time in a decade, I do feel lucky. Could he really like me in that way?

Don’t forget, he’s an actor , that irritating voice whispers again. Can’t she just shut up for once? I really want to bask in this feeling. It’s warm, comfortable.

But it would never work. Even if he does feel the same, your lives couldn’t be more different. He’s just here for the movie. Soon, he’ll go back to LA, and you’ll just be a thing of the past—again.

My first instinct is to fight back, but I can’t. Because what if she’s right? What if he leaves me all over again?