I missed him something fierce, but walking away was the right move…the only move. He was never going to see things from my point of view, and by staying with him, I’d be accepting less than what I wanted or deserved from a partner. Finn had stood by and let his father spew insults at me and pull my hair because, in his words, it was easier than fighting him. I had no doubt he felt like shit about it, but not bad enough to promise it wouldn’t happen again.

My next relationship would be with someone who cared enough about me to have my back, even if it was the harder choice. Besides, I wouldn’t be happy in a relationship where I always came second to his dad, a man who might never welcome me into his life. I’d lost my own father and often wondered if I might get a second chance with my future father-in-law. Would it be so horrible to have someone to call “Dad” after all these years?

Bored with the pity party, I buried my phone under a throw pillow and scrolled through the TV guide until I got to the Hallmark Channel. When Lacey Chabert and Andrew Walker appeared on the screen, I shrieked and turned off the television. Too soon, Adi. Too soon.

I could drown my sorrows in wine. Except Kate was in lockdown studying for the bar. Drinking alone tended to exacerbate whatever mood I was already in, which meant I’d resume rehashing the premature end of my love affair with Finn.

Ping.

I pulled my phone out from under the pillow to see who’d texted me, hating myself a little for hoping it was Finn.

The clock is ticking.

I smothered a groan into the pillow. Thank you, DerDick, for the oh-so-subtle reminder. My article was written, aside from the ending. The reason I couldn’t conclude the piece back in Pleasant Hollow was now clear. It was because I’d instinctively known the romantic angle wouldn’t end on a happy note. From the start, there’d been too many knots in Finn’s and my pink bow. But I had to write something. Just because my love life was in the shitter didn’t mean I had to flush my career down the toilet too.

I opened my computer to a new document in Word and tapped the keys. An hour later, I read back what I’d written.