You know when you’re looking at someone and you can’t help
but smile at how oblivious they are to their own charm? That’s what was
happening to me, and it was making me feel…happy. Euphoric. Something
indescribable. It was like we already knew each other, like we had met in a
previous life. Memories that didn’t exist began exploding in my mind like
fireworks.
Charlotte has spent her twenties adrift, searching for a
spark to jump-start her life and give her a sense of purpose. She’s had as many
jobs as she’s had bad relationships, and now she’s feeling especially lost in
her less-than-glamorous gig at a pie-and-fry joint in Los Angeles, where the
uniforms are bad and the tips are even worse.
Then she collides—literally—with Adam, an intriguing,
handsome, and mysterious painter. Their serendipitous meeting on the street
turns into a whirlwind one-night stand that has Charlotte feeling enchanted by
Adam’s spontaneity and joy for life. There’s promise in both his words and
actions, but in the harsh light of morning, Adam’s tune changes, leaving
Charlotte to wonder if her notorious bad luck with men is really just her own
bad judgment.
Months later, a new relationship with Seth, a charming
baseball player, is turning into something more meaningful, but Charlotte’s
still having trouble moving past her one enthralling night with Adam. Why? When
she searches for answers, she finds the situation with Adam is far more
complicated than she ever imagined. Faced with the decision to write a new
story with Seth or finish the one started with Adam, Charlotte embarks on a
life-altering journey, one that takes her across the world and back again,
bringing a lifetime’s worth of pain, joy, and wisdom.
Excerpt
“You’re making love sound tragic,” I said.
“No”—he shook his head—“I wouldn’t want it any other way. Tell
me about us. What do we like to do?”
“Paint and sail and eat and drink. Just simple things.” “Don’t
forget about sex,” he said.
“Yeah, lots of sex. Before the children were born we
"We were practically naked every second of the day.”
“I like that.”
“When they got older, we’d sneak away for weekends and leave
them at my mom’s.”
“What are they like? Our children.”
“Happy. That’s all we wished for. We put our love first and it
just spilled over into them and now they’re happy.”
Tears sprang from my eyes and ran down my cheeks. Isn’t that
what we all hope for when it comes to our children?
His tone suddenly changed. “That’s beautiful, Char- lotte.” It
was like he was waking up from the dream. I didn’t want to go back to reality
yet, but I knew these fantasies were just to help Adam get his mind off things.
“I can imagine a long life with you,” he said. “I can imagine
what a great wife you’d be."
I pulled my hand out of his. “The story is about you and me.” He
didn’t say anything; he just nodded and then continued to stare out the window.
I bent and kissed the top of his head again, and whispered, “It’s about us.
Don’t take that away from me.”
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