Page 46 of Booked on You
I read it.
Ezra—
Thank you for opening your home to me. Total book boyfriend material.
Also, I destroy hearts for a living. Consider yourself warned.
Forever,
Scarlett
I stare at the inscription longer than I should.
“Do you plan on reading it or just putting it on a shelf like a trophy?” she asks, but I can’t figure out what the correct answer is.
I flip the cover shut and set it beside me.
“I want to read it, but if you don’t want me to, I won’t,” I say.
“Read it, please. It’s my best work to date.” She smiles. “I’m really proud of it. However, my next book will be way better. I’m currently writing magic.”
I lift my brows. “The girl at the bookstore told me to grab tissues.”
“Yeah, you should. It’s fucked up,” she admits. Color blooms high on her cheeks.
“But you’ve been warned, so read at your own risk,” she says, biting into the crust.
For a second, I wonder if I should be worried.
She leans back in her chair, swigging the beer as her eyes drift toward me.
The book sits between us, but it feels like something more now. A bridge, maybe, or a line I’ve already started crossing.
“I’m really proud of you,” I tell her.
She snorts. “For what?”
“For writing again. Bailey, from the bookstore, is a mega fan and gave me way too much information.”
Scarlett laughs. “Yeah. Parasocial relationships are weird. I’m sure she told you this book was based on my ex, too.”
Her words are easygoing, playful even, like she’s enjoying this.
“Actually, she did. Is it?” I ask, wanting her confirmation.
“Somewhat. Not everything, but enough. I have a problem with writing my real life into my books. Any man who dates me isn’t safe. Ever,” she says.
I sip my beer. “Is that why you’ve been warning me away from you?”
She nods. “People will pry, Ezra. Rumors will spread. I can’t interrupt your quiet life here. That’s why it’s probably best if?—”
“I don’t care,” I say, knowing I’ll never be the same since meeting her. “That’s life. I can handle the ups and downs as long as there is a happily ever after.”
She contemplates my words. “If it’s guaranteed, sure, but I’m not sure everyone gets a happily ever after love story, though, in real life.”
“I think, eventually, we find the person we’re supposed to be with. Or they find us.”
She takes a drink of her beer. “It’s a nice thought.”
