CHAPTER 26It took two days before I could spend any real time out of bed. Three days before I managed to get dressed. On the fourth day, I forced myself to be productive.I spent the morning on e-mails and reading a new script from my agent that was, for once, not terrible. Then I began working through the boxes. It was early evening, and I’d finished unpacking almost half of them when Joe stopped by.“I wanted to make sure you were eating,” he said, holding up two boxes of Chinese take-out.“I’m more interested in that bottle of wine you have tucked under your arm. But, please, come in.” I gestured toward the dining room and headed to the kitchen for a corkscrew, plates, and wineglasses.“Sorry, I wasn’t really dressed for company,” I said when I returned, referring to my ensemble of yoga pants and a tank top.“I don’t know, I think you look pretty cute.”“Oh. Well.” I tucked a hair behind my ear and studied him as he uncorked the bottle of Riesling. His hair had grown out since I’d

She let out a long labored breath, and I closed my eyes, wanting to block out her voice, wanting to avoid the ending where this conversation inevitably led, but not able to cover my ears or shut off the machine. I had to keep listening, as horrible as it was to hear. I had to know all of it.“This isn’t a blue raincoat call.” How ironic was it that the safe word she’d made for me had only ever been used by her? “You’ll get this when it’s too late to do anything to help me. Honestly, it was probably too late for you to help me when we met. But maybe that’s why I loved you so much – because you didn’t try. You didn’t try to fix me or take me back home or tell me that my life was on a downward spin. You only wanted to make me happy. I think you’re the only person who ever really did. I’m sorry it was such an impossible task.“And now it’s my turn to return the favor. If I can’t have Reeve, there isn’t anyone else I’d want him to be with except you. I just can’t be around to see it happen

Swearing up a storm, I slipped on some shoes, and ran to the kitchen to grab my car keys from the hook by the fridge. I had no idea where my purse was so I decided to leave it, anxious to get to him as soon as possible.In the hopes that he’d answer eventually, I redialed his number as I opened the door.And then I froze.Because there he was, standing right in front of me, his hair messy like he’d run his hand through it a thousand times and his eyes wide and warm the minute they locked with mine.I dropped my hand from my ear, my mouth gaping.“Hi,” he said cautiously.His voice shocked me into action. “I was just calling you,” I said, clicking End on my cell.With his forehead creased, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell. “Oh. It’s on airplane mode,” he said, pocketing it again. “Why were you calling me anyway?” Though wary, he was so obviously hopeful.I was focused on his lips, the way they curved up with the slightest hint of a smile when he spoke. The way they we