Page 80 of Unromance

“Hi, hi!” her agent said cheerily. “Sorry to call out of the blue, but I have good news. Got a minute?”

“For good news?” Sawyer laughed. “I always have time for good news. Especially right now.” She shook a piece of wet garbage off her boot.

“Okay.” Tess took a deep breath, and despite her claim that it was good news, Sawyer couldn’t help but feel like Tess was bracing for impact. “So, we have an offer—”

Sawyer screamed, dancing in a small circle on the train platform, not caring how many people were now staring at her. “They want another book?!”

“Er—no. Someone wants to buy your film rights—”

“No,” Sawyer said flatly. She took a soggy step over to the platform railing. She’d fought the studio when they’d changed the ending toAlmost Lovers, when they had her main character reconcile with her homophobic parents. She’d lost the fight. It wasn’t personal, they said, but it sure as shit felt personal. As if her character couldn’t have a happily ever after without it. She hated the message it sent to her readers, toher.

If the only thing she could control was her books, her words, then she would cling to them with everything she had. She wouldn’t make the mistake of letting someone else have control again.

The line went silent, and Sawyer knew Tess was pinching her brow the way she did when praying for patience. “I told them that already, but she requested to speak to you directly, and I know what you’re going to say,” Tess cut her off. “But this wouldn’t be likeAlmost Lovers, Sawyer. Alissa really seems to love the book and wants to adapt it, true to the source.”

Every muscle in Sawyer’s body locked up. “I’m sorry. What studio did you say?”

“I didn’t. It’s a small company called Guiding Light,” Tess hedged hopefully. “They’re new—brand new, actually, but they’ve got Alissa Moreno at the helm, and she’s got plenty of films under her belt.”

The train screeched away from the platform, and Sawyer stared blankly off into space. “Alissa Moreno, huh?”

A navy beanie came into view over the steps to the train platform, Mason’s tall frame following.

Sawyer’s jaw clenched. “Thanks, Tess. I’ll think about it.”

“Really?” Tess said in surprise. Then, apparently thinking better of it: “Of course. Take all the time you need. Have a good weekend, Sawyer.”

“You, too,” she said numbly before disconnecting the call.

Mason walked over to her slowly, brows knitting together as he saw the tight set of her features. “Everything okay?”

Sawyer laughed, though there was no humor in it. “That was Tess. Some new production company wants the rights toWhy We’re Not Together.”

He came to a halt half a step in front of her. She was fairly certain a flicker of panic crossed his face. “Oh?”

“Yeah. Guiding Light.” Definite flicker of panic. “Ever heard of it?”

Mason sighed, eyes fluttering shut as he tugged off his beanie, running a hand through his too-long hair roughly. “Sawyer,” he said apologetically.

“You knew, didn’t you?” She already had the answer to her question, but she wanted him to admit it. Production companies were still a bit confusing to her, but Mason was too integral to the project to not know.

Meeting her gaze, he nodded slowly, twisting his beanie between his hands. “May I explain?”

Sawyer forced herself to look away, glaring off to the side. “How did Alissa come across my book?”

“I sent it to her—on an impulse,” Mason rushed out. “After we first met and I read all your books. I stayed up until one in the morning to finish it because I couldn’t put it down. I could see it all so clearly in my head. It was like reading a movie. As soon as I finished, I bought a second copy, shipping it to Alissa. I didn’t know you yet. I didn’t know how you felt about protecting your film rights.”

“And once you did… did you know she was going to offer?”

Once again, he nodded, grimacing.

“And you still didn’t tell me?”

“Sawyer—” His voice broke. “I wanted you to hear her out, and I wanted her to have that chance.”

“And you think I wouldn’t if you’d asked? You thought it was best to go behind my back, surprise me, get my agent involved, give her one more thing to be disappointed in me for?” She took a steadying breath. She hadn’t meant to raise her voice, but the hysteria was kicking in. All the panic and all the fears that she’d been repressing were bubbling to the surface like a physical force, like vomit. She swallowed thickly. She was not going to panic-vomit-comet on this train platform.

“Sawyer, that’s not it at all—”

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