Page 85 of More than Paper

“Do you really want to get into this right now?”

“Now seems as good a time as any.”

“Okay. I have money. More than enough so neither of us would ever have to work again. There is no logical reason why you haven’t moved here unless you have questions about us.”

She sits up.

Oh great.

“No logical reason? I’m supposed to move halfway across the country without even thinking about it? I’m supposed to stop working—”

“No! I said you could work on your writing career. Or find another job here if that’s what you really want.”

She snorts. “Do you know how many resumes I’ve sent out here?”

“You sent resumes out?”

“Yes, Jamison. I have. Do you know how many?”

“No.”

“Ten. Every week, I’ve sent my resume to ten different places. Some I’ve sent multiple times. Do you know how many have given me an interview?”

Why didn’t she tell me?I quietly say, “No.”

“Zero. Do you know what it’s like to get rejected every week, over and over, and continue to keep doing the same thing?”

“Shit. Quinn, I didn’t know. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“That’s an awesome conversation piece. ‘Hey, babe, I had another ten companies reject me this week.’ Sorry if I didn’t want to discuss it.”

I scrub my face with my hands. “I didn’t know. I wish you’d told me.”

“In the meantime, I’ve been researching everything there is to know about self-publishing and even had my book sent to beta readers. Kim’s been helping me. And I’ve been saving my money from the raise I got so when I move I have some sort of nest egg, so I hopefully don’t have to spend all your money while I’m getting my author career started or finding my next job.”

“You sent your book out?”

“Yes.”

“I’m proud of you. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because you want it so badly, I don’t want to disappoint you if it fails,” she cries out.

I pull her into me. “Quinn, you aren’t going to fail.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I do.”

“You don’t.”

I put my face next to hers. “Listen to me. You will never disappoint me. No matter what happens, I’m proud of you, but you aren’t going to fail. You have real talent.”

“Talent doesn’t mean anything.”

“It does. And you don’t need to save money to come here. I told you I would take care of you.”

She bites her lip, shakes her head, and stares at me.

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