Page 104 of The Moment He Saw Her

“Anyway,” Zoe said. “Carry on, I’m feeling less stabby now.”

“Stabby?” Birdie asked, and Zoe pulled a fake knife out of its sheath.

“Our life was good, but… emotionless,” Libby said. “Fake,” she added, realizing it for the truth.

“So you left your a-hole ex, who will only ever be that,” Johnathan said, giving Libby a hard look, “and then what?”

“I drove around aimlessly spending the cash I had because I knew my card transactions could be checked. I also left my phone behind and got a burner one?—”

“Oooh, like a criminal. Nice,” Phoebe said.

“You are not writing her into your next book,” Cill said.

“I’ll change her name.” Phoebe waved a hand about.

Phoebe was a well-known author, and Ally had told Libby that both she and Brody were very proud of her. Libby couldn’t remember a time when her family had told her they were proud of something she’d done.

She put her wine on the table because it was making her sentimental and pathetic.

“Besides, most of you are in books in some form or other,” Phoebe added.

“Awesome!” Jonathan punched the air. “I hope you made me really hot.”

“Really hot,” Phoebe said.

“Anyway,” Zoe said loudly. “Back to Libby and her story.”

“I drove into a town not far from here?—”

“Not that crap hole Sauce?” Nina asked. “Doesn’t hold a candle to Lyntacky.”

“All of you shut up and let Libby talk,” Zoe snapped.

“Yes, that one. But I’d run out of cash, so I thought I’d get some out of the bank and then keep moving so no one could find me. My dad has a jet, so he can fly anywhere fast.”

“I’d love my own jet.” Jonathan sighed.

“And I ended up in Lyntacky, where my car only just made it, then broke down. Ryder was the first one I met. He tapped on my window and asked if I needed help.”

“That’s my brother. He always puts everyone before himself,” Zoe said. “Now tell me if you love him, Libby.”

“Ah—”

“We’ve talked about this, Zoe,” Phoebe said. “Tact. You work up to asking questions like that.”

“You’ve met my brothers who helped raise me, right? Tact is not a word they understand.”

Birdie sighed.

“So do you?” Zoe demanded.

All eyes swung to look at Libby, who was now so low in the beanbag, she was almost horizontal.

“Give her some water and food. That girl is not used to alcohol, and we need her on her game tomorrow,” Cill said.

“Well?” Zoe demanded.

“Yes,” Libby whispered, allowing Jonathan to prop her upright again. “Yes, I think I do love Ryder, but that doesn’t mean?—”

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