ction she’d so carefully layered over herself. After all, the key to faking your way through life was that you didn’t admit you were faking it.
But it was a relief, too. She didn’t have to pretend anymore. The next column she worked on was her easiest yet, because she wasn’t worried that she might reveal too much. She could be herself. Her real self. The woman she was finally getting to know after twenty-seven years.
The response was overwhelming. The online comment section exploded with people telling their own stories. Stories that made Veronica break down and cry, and stories that made her cheer. She’d always felt that she didn’t fit in anywhere, that she was different, but she was starting to realize that everyone felt different.
Her next Dear Veronica Live was overflowing with people, and even though she had stage fright, it wasn’t nearly as crippling as it had been. After all, she didn’t have to fear that they’d see through her facade; she’d already let them in.
She wrapped it up a little more slowly than normal, pausing just as she set the microphone down to pick it up again. “I already thanked you guys for coming out tonight, but I also wanted to thank you for the responses to my last column. It meant a lot to get that kind of support for the new program at the high school. And if there’s anyone here who was brave enough to share their story in the comments, thank you so much for that, too. I’m honored.”
The applause was overwhelming, and before she could retreat to the office, several women approached to give her hugs. She wasn’t sure how to handle that, so she just hugged them back. All these years of hiding, and she could have just been herself the whole time. The knowledge was bittersweet.
Still, she wasn’t going to beat up on herself. Her method of coping had gotten her this job and her new friends, and it had even gotten her Gabe.
Though that was bittersweet, as well.
She finally made her escape and closed the office door firmly behind her before collapsing into a chair. She dug through her purse for her phone, though she wasn’t sure why. Gabe had left a beautiful message about her new column, but she hadn’t called him back, and that felt almost like a betrayal. After all, he’d played a part in bringing out the real Veronica. She should thank him for that, or at least let him know how much he’d helped.
But she couldn’t call him. Some of her anger had faded in the past week, but she still felt betrayed. And what did any of that even matter? The relationship wasn’t going anywhere. It couldn’t.
But her doubts disappeared when she saw she had a message. Excitement shot through her veins, but it dried to ash when she realized the message was from an unfamiliar number. It wasn’t Gabe.
Expecting a random marketing call, she barely listened at first, but as the woman on the line kept talking, Veronica sat up straighter. Then straighter still.
“Holy shit,” she whispered, blinking hard. Things had been changing quickly in her life in the past few weeks, but this was a seismic shift she could never have anticipated. She just wasn’t sure if it was good or...too terrifying to contemplate.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
“HAVE I MENTIONED how much I loved the column?” Gabe asked.
Veronica smiled up at him as they strolled along one of the quieter paths through Central Park, and his pulse sped. She looked so beautiful. And a little different, despite that they’d only been apart for two weeks. She wore just mascara and lip gloss as far as he could tell, instead of the smoky shadow and dark liner she often wore. Her short black skirt was topped by a casual T-shirt. “You’ve only told me about ten times. Thank you.”
“When we talked on the phone... I’m sorry you went through that. When you said your stepbrother was an asshole, I didn’t realize you meant that it went on for years.”
She nodded. “It’s okay. I’m finally learning to let it go.”
“You seem different,” he said.
“Do I?”
“Yes.” He watched her until she crinkled her nose at him. “You seem more like you were with me in private. Like your guard is down, even here in your least favorite place.”
“Maybe. And speaking of...how’s life in the city?”
He looked around them at the huge ancient trees and the walls of gray rock. “Noisy,” he said. Even here he could hear the sound of distant construction and impatient taxi drivers.
“Yeah. I assume this is still your favorite part of New York?” she asked.
“Of course. Well, this and the library. I haven’t been there since I’ve been back. I’d love to go with you. But here...these were the first rocks I ever climbed.” He gestured at the rocky hill ahead of them. “Seriously. I would spend hours here as a kid, pretending I was in a deep, dark jungle. Pretending I was an explorer.”
“It’s beautiful here,” she said, sighing, even as someone jogged between them, forcing them to step quickly apart. Veronica tilted her head. “Was that guy using an actual Walkman?”
Gabe squinted and shook his head. “If nothing else, this town is truly interesting.”
“It is,” she said, her voice carefully neutral.
He wanted her to give the city a second chance. More important, he wanted her to give him a second chance. “So...” he ventured, “I wasn’t expecting to see you so soon. Are you ever going to tell me why you came?”
She shrugged, her lips pressing together in a secret smile. “Maybe I just missed you.”