A pile of contracts didn’t make for much of a gift. For half a second, Anna thought about tying it with a bow, but she knew that even if that was a good idea—which it wasn’t—she didn’t own ribbon, and she wasn’t sure she could tie a bow.

After leaving Tom’s house, she’d pulled off the highway near the coast and stared at the view. She felt better than she had in years. She couldn’t remember the last the time she’d felt this light or free. The fear that she’d wasted her time with Tom, the worry over what the press thought, and the frustration of so many nameless producers never hiring her—all of it was gone. She didn’t give a damn what any of them thought.

Only one person mattered, and she’d put off calling him for as long as she could. How many times could she apologize to John before he realized that she wasn’t the kindest, most stable person to have a relationship with? The thing was, she knew he already understood that but had been willing to give it a try anyway. She’d thought she was protecting him by keeping their relationship quiet and avoiding difficult conversations, but she’d only been protecting herself.

Anna dialed John’s number, and she composed a suitable message in her head as it rang.

“Oh wow, it’s you.” John’s surprise didn’t sound feigned. He’d never worried about pretending to cover his emotions, while Anna had made a habit of swimming in a sea of subterfuge, all so she could avoid feeling anything. She’d spent more time hiding than realizing what a gift she’d had in front of her. She really had screwed up.

“Thanks for answering,” she said.

There was silence as Anna gathered her thoughts. She wished she were better with words. Maybe she just needed to start. Maybe she just needed to stop being a coward.

“Anna, are you okay?”

“Yes, I mean... mostly.”

“Where are you?”

“I just came from Tom’s house.”

“Oh.”

Anna banged her head on the steering wheel. She was such an idiot. “I just stopped by to blackmail him and threaten him a little, I guess.”

John laughed, sounding relieved. She didn’t care if he was laughing at her or with her. She could listen to him laugh all day.

“You guess...?” John paused. “Are you an anonymous source by any chance?”

“I can neither confirm nor deny.” Anna took a breath, steeling her nerves. “Are you free? Will you meet me? Just to talk. I—”

“Of course, yeah.”

“Thank you. That’s... a lot for you to do for me,” she said.

“I’m back in Los Angeles.” John paused. “I was in Oregon for a bit.”