“Courtney,” is all he says.
“I know, I see her too,” I say, and grab for his hand. “Come with me,” I plead, not wanting to sound desperate, even though I am. Desperate to pretend that I don’t see Max’s love for Courtney written all over his face; desperate to still believe I can outrun our fate. I think about Jules’ messed-up life and Liam being turned into a Hollywood cliché. It’s as if by coming back here, I have taken a sledgehammer to everyone else’s story in order to write my own happy ending.
Max gives Courtney one last look before turning back to me and grabbing my hand. “I’m sorry, Kate,” he says, and I’m not sure what for and I don’t want to ask.
“It’s okay,” is all I say because I don’t trust myself to say anything else. “I’ll be right back,” I say, pointing in the direction of the restroom, just wanting to put as much distance as possible between me and what’s happened in the last five minutes.
Walking in a haze through the crowd, I almost collide with a server wearing a crisp white shirt and black pants. “Excuse me,” I say automatically without looking up.
“You better watch where you’re going,” a familiar voice says, and I do a double take when I find Ruby holding an empty tray, smirking at me.
“Why am I even surprised?” I say, more to myself than to her. “Of course you would show up now. Is this your I told you so moment?”
Ruby’s smirk evaporates. “Is that what you think? That I’m here to teach you some sort of lesson?” she says as a drunken starlet walks by and hands her an empty glass with a cigarette butt in it. Ruby tosses the glass into the trash before grabbing my arm and pulling me away from the crowd. “Whether you believe it or not, I’m here to help, not hurt, you.”
“Could’ve fooled me,” I say, my anger at Max spilling out of me onto Ruby. “I did everything, everything right this time. And he still loves her. She still wins,” I say, my voice cracking.
“Maybe that’s the problem, Kate. You keep treating this as if it’s a game.”
“Isn’t it, though? Aren’t we all trying to triumph at life?” I think about Callie from college, who just this morning had posted a picture of a letter her eight-year-old had written telling her what a wonderful mommy she was. He even had incredible handwriting that seemed unlikely for a child who had only just graduated kindergarten. But the fact remained the same—if life was a game, Callie was in the lead by a mile. And even given a second chance, I had still lost.
Ruby presses her lips together and looks me over with wonder as if I’m a rare animal at the zoo. “After everything you’ve been through, that’s what comes to mind?” She steps into an alcove as a real catering waiter walks by briskly. “And to think I believed you were finally getting it.” She untucks her shirt. “I’m done here,” she says, her eyes glistening as she turns to leave.
“Wait,” I say. “This is it? You’re walking away from me, now?” I ask, feeling panicked. “How do I fix this? Do I have any more wishes?” Maybe there was still a chance I could make this all right—if we hadn’t come to this party, if he’d never seen Courtney dancing with that man. If I could erase it all, Max and I could still be happy together.
Ruby sighs heavily, looking tired. “You do have one final wish. My advice to you is to use it wisely.” She pats my shoulder lightly. “Just remember, some things just aren’t meant to be fixed,” she says before disappearing into the darkness.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
The cold water tingles my skin as it splashes up onto my face, wiping away in an instant the careful work I’d done applying my makeup earlier tonight, when I stood barefoot on my tiled bathroom floor, my heart still beating quickly after making love to Max, a nervous excitement coursing through me as I anticipated coming to this Hollywood party with him on my arm. Blotting my face dry with a stark white monogrammed napkin that reads Nikki’s Night, I sneer at my reflection in the mirror, wanting the answers I am seeking to be reflected in my eyes. Was Ruby right? At least I have one more wish. I could use it to go back in time again. Third time’s a charm, right?