“She and Octavia canceled everything without penalty, except for the cake. You’re going to have to eat that cost. Excuse the pun.”

Antonia was amazed and relieved. There were many frivolous items that Derek’s parents paid for, but the cake had definitely been her responsibility. She could take that hit. “I’m just glad that you’re doing well,” she said honestly.

“Oh, of course. Wild Hare wasn’t where I was supposed to be,” he said. “I might not have a job yet, but I know that getting laid off was for the best. And it’s probably good for you too.”

“I don’t know about all of that,” she said. “You might find a job faster than I do.”

“Sure, but you’ve got a good savings account. I do not. You should be focusing your energy on your novel.”

This conversation was veering uncomfortably close to the argument she had with Aiden. “I don’t know what will come of the book,” she said in a tired voice.

Eddie sighed. “You say that, but I know you, Toni. Out of all of us in grad school, you published more short stories and poetry. You stopped writing because of publishing.”

“We had good years there,” Antonia said defensively. “We learned a lot at Wild Hare.”

He scoffed. “Yep, I learned to always keep my CV updated. Come on, Toni. You have to admit it: the world is no better for the shit we published. Now if you had the confidence to finish your book, we’d be cooking with gas. If I get another publishing job, I’ll definitely push it to the front of the line.”

There was that word again. Confidence. When did everyone think she was just a shrinking violet who avoided all challenging tasks? “Well I had the guts to come out here by myself, didn’t I?” she asked.

“Definitely,” he agreed. “It was a ballsy move. I’m proud of you.”

His comment disarmed her for a second. “Huh?”

“I mean it, I was so proud of you when you told me,” he said. “Megan was so excited for you to have some space to just write.”

“Oh.”

“What’s wrong with you?” Eddie asked. “You sound edgy.”

Antonia rubbed the space between her brows and closed her eyes. “Oh nothing,” she said wearily. “I just got into an argument earlier and some of the stuff you’re saying sounds familiar.”

“Oooh, is it that guy Octavia told me about? Are you already getting into fights with your neighbors?” Eddie asked with a laugh. “That sounds a little too Irish for my taste.”

“She told you about my neighbor?” Antonia asked, incredulous. “Why are you two talking so much?”

“We’re all friends, Toni,” he reminded her. “So who’s this neighbor?”

Antonia reluctantly explained the whole thing to her best friend. When she was finished, he gave a thoughtful “mmh,” and proceeded to keep it real with her.

“Are you serious?” he asked.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, it sounds like he was asking you legitimate questions and you flipped out on him.”