“I’ll be finished at the end of the year. My favorite professor is my thesis adviser, and you know, I really want him to like it too. He’s been such a huge influence and a mentor.”

“That’s the dude you mentioned once after yoga?”

“Maybe I did. He’s a real writer. He published a book.”

“That’s cool. It matters that people believe in your talent that way. We all need that.”

A guy popped his head around the corner of the building. Brown hair, neatly trimmed beard. His eyes were dark brown, like small stones embedded in his face.

“Sophia?” he said.

He didn’t wait for an answer but walked right up to them.

Sophia’s mouth formed a small O, and she opened her fingers, letting the cigarette drop to the ground, where it sparked. She turned and said, “Hey, babe. Ready to dance?”

The guy came and stood with his hands on his hips. He looked at the ground, looked at Madeline, back to the ground.

“Really? I thought you quit.”

“It’s just one.”

“Look, I’m ready to go home,” he said. He studied the smoking cigarette and shook his head. “It looks like you are too. It’s getting late.”

“This is my friend Madeline. The one I told you about. The one from yoga.”

“Are you ready?” he asked. He ignored Madeline.

“I wanted to go back in,” Sophia said. “Do you want to go home without me? I can Uber.”

He took a step closer. He glanced once at Madeline and then back to Sophia. “Don’t you think we should go together?”

Sophia started to say something back to him but cut the words off. Instead, she said, “Okay, babe. We can go.”

“I don’t want you going home alone after what you told me earlier.”

“Okay,” Sophia said. “Sure.” Sophia shrugged as she turned to Madeline. “Do you need a ride?”

“I’m good.”

“Be safe, okay?” She hugged her, pulling Madeline tight, a whiff of cigarette smoke cutting through the lavender.

“Are you okay?” Madeline asked.

“Right as rain,” she said. “There’s just a creep in our neighborhood. He’s kind of watching us. He comes around late at night and walks up and down the street with his dog. Zach’s right.”

“Gross.”

“It’s fine,” Sophia said. “Maybe he’s harmless. But who can tell these days? Something for your book, right? See you at yoga next week?”

“Yes.”

Sophia blew a kiss in Madeline’s direction and started walking with Zach, taking his hand.

Madeline watched them go, a little envious. And Madeline looked away only when Zach turned back, checking her out over his shoulder, his look lingering longer than seemed right.

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

REBECCA

PRESENT