Copyright 2018 by Colleen Hoover

Corey: Pantem did a press release this morning, announcing you as the
new co-author of Verity’s series. Sent a link to your email if you want
to take a look.
As soon as I open my email, there’s a knock on the door of the office.
“Come in.”
Jeremy opens the door, peeking his head in. “Hey. I’m headed to Target to
get a few groceries. If you make me a list, I can grab whatever you need.”
There are a few things I need. Tampons being one of them, even though I
only have a day or two left of my period. I just wasn’t expecting to be here this
long, so I didn’t pack enough. I’m not sure I want to tell Jeremy that, though. I
stand up, dusting off my jeans. “Actually, do you mind if I go with you? Might
be easier.”
Jeremy opens the door a little wider and says, “Not at all. Leaving in about
ten minutes.”
•••
Jeremy drives a dark grey Jeep Wrangler with jacked-up tires, covered in mud.
I’ve never actually seen it because it’s been in the garage, but it’s not what I
expected him to drive. I assumed he’d drive a Cadillac CTX or an Audi A8.
Something a man in a suit would drive. I don’t know why I keep picturing him
as the professional, clean-cut businessman I met that first day. The man wears
jeans or sweatpants every day, is always outside working, and has a rotating
stock of muddy boots he leaves by the back door. A Jeep Wrangler actually fits
him better than any other vehicle I’ve been picturing him in.
We’re out of his driveway, about half a mile down the road, when he turns
down his radio.
“Did you see Pantem’s press release today?” he asks.
I grab my phone from my purse. “Corey sent me the link, but I forgot to read
it.”
“It’s only one sentence long in Publishers Weekly,” Jeremy says. “Short and
sweet. Just how you wanted it.”
I open the email and read the link. It’s not a link to Publishers Weekly,
though. Corey sent me a link to the announcement made on Verity Crawford’s

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social media page, via her publicity team.