Bubble Wrap

chapter thirty-five

DAYS TURN INTO weeks and weeks turn into months, and I was able to just sink into my new normal. I spend those weeks drowning in The Way We Were as we prepare it for a late spring release, and then I spend my nights with Luke. It's usually late at night when he's at the studio all by himself, but those late night talks are all I need to know we're doing the right thing.

I'd rather have this small piece of him than nothing at all.

And when he's too busy to talk, I escape into books I don't know the endings of. I embrace the elegance of the words as they coat me in the warm of their happy endings. And for a while, it's all I need. It's enough.

Until today.

Until my distraction came to an end.

"Em!" Maggie smiles when I step into the hotel ballroom hosting the annual spring gala put on by Playhouse Publishing to raise money for under privilege schools, and with it, an announcement of our spring and summer line-up. "You look incredible!"

My lips curl up into a bright smile as she grasps my hands, holding our hands out to either side as she takes in the dusty pink slip dress hugging my body. The thin straps tight over my shoulders as it crisscrosses over my back into a tied bow with a low hanging back. "I could say the same thing about you," I tell her. "You look beautiful, Mags."

She grins in my direction as I take in the same midi length dress as mine. Where mine is tight over my hips, the mocha color of hers flairs out in panels of fabric around her waist. The thick straps tied in bows on her shoulders with a thin gold chain rested around her neck. She's a vision, and I can't help the skip of excitement knowing this is only the start for her big and bright writing career.

"Thank you," she says as she turns to the ballroom full of people. "Can you believe this night?" she asks. "I mean, I know I've been here before, but–"

"It's different when you're an author," I say, finishing her sentence. "This is only the beginning, Mags."

Her eyes slide to me as she grins. "You think?"

"I know," I tell her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "Where's Zane?"

"He's on his way," she says, moving a loose piece of her dark hair out of her eyes. "He was working a half shift this morning and got held up."

I nod as my eyes drift across the room, spotting Clark with his husband, Eric and a few of Playhouse's investors. When he spots the two of us, he waves for us to join them. "Looks like Clark wants you to join him," I say, not yet ready to dive in.

Maggie's eyes move to the same spot in the room to find him waving us over and takes a step forward to head that way. When I don't take a step forward with her, she stops and turns to face me. "You coming?"

"Yeah, I'll be over in a minute," I tell her with a weak smile.

"Emery..."

"Go," I say and wave her off. "I'm fine."

The concerned look doesn't leave her face, but she doesn't argue with me as she let's go of my hand to cross the room toward them. I take a slow breath as I move my hand towards the small wave of curls framing my face and toward the ponytail at the base of my neck.

My thoughts drifting away to Luke and knowing that all the time I've spent distracting myself from the lack of his presence is about to hit me again at full force. And maybe I'll get another book, another project that can pull me in as much as The Way We Were did, but it won't be enough. Not anymore. I'm tired of distracting myself.

"Hey Em," Zane says as rests his hand on my back. "You look amazing."

I turn my head and smile, taking in the dark suit that makes his hazel eyes brighter than ever. "You look pretty dapper yourself," I tell him. "How was work?"