Chapter 44
Viola sat cross-legged on her bed, laptop balanced on her knees, fingers flying across the keyboard. The sunlight spilled into the room, catching the edges of her notes and drafts scattered across the sheets. For weeks, she'd poured everything into these final chapters—late nights, early mornings, endless rewrites—and now…
Her fingers froze over the keys. She scrolled back through the last line. Read it again. And again.
She couldn't help it. A laugh bubbled up, shaky and incredulous. "No… no way… it's done!"
Then, without thinking, she jumped up, spinning around her room in a triumphant little dance, laptop held high. She spun, kicked, and did a wild little happy stomp, nearly knocking over her mug of tea.
"I'm done! I'm done!" she shouted, voice echoing off the walls. "The book… it's ready! Ready for the world!"
Her messy bun bobbed as she twirled again, flinging herself onto the bed, hugging the laptop to her chest. The sense of relief, pride, and excitement made her almost dizzy. She could see it—her name on the cover, her words in the hands of readers. She had done it.
Sam, still on the couch with a pregnancy pillow propped behind her, clapped slowly, eyes shining. "Bravo! Look at you, Pretty Little Savage, dancing like you just won the lottery!"
Viola laughed, breathless, collapsing back against the pillows. "Feels like I did!"
"And you did," Sam said, grinning. "You've worked your butt off, Vi. Now the world gets to see it."
Viola's chest swelled, a mixture of pride and happiness warming her from the inside out. "I can't believe it… it's finally done. All those late nights, all that stress… it was worth it."
"Worth it? You're a genius," Sam said, leaning over to poke her cheek. "Now… maybe we celebrate with some ice cream before Mack shows up and steals all the credit for making you happy."
Viola laughed again, twirling her laptop like a trophy. "No one steals this feeling. Not even Mack. This… this is all mine."
The front door clicked open, and Viola, mid-spin, nearly dropped her laptop.
"Vi?" Mack's voice called out, calm but carrying that unmistakable edge of interest.
She froze, cheeks flushing. "Mack! I… uh…" She tried to compose herself, adjusting the messy bun that had gone completely rogue during her victory dance.
He stepped in, hands in the pockets of his jeans, loose shirt hanging just right, eyes scanning the scene—and then landing on her.
Her chest rose and fell quickly as he took in the wild happiness on her face, the messy hair, the scattered papers, the laptop hugged like a newborn. He smirked, the corner of his mouth tugging in that dangerous way that made her pulse spike.
"You've… been busy," he said, stepping closer, his eyes softening as he took in the glow on her face. "Look at you. Wild, happy… alive."
Viola laughed, shrugging, a little self-conscious now that he was there. "I finished it, Mack. The book… it's done. Ready to publish. Can you believe it?"
He grinned, moving closer so that he could reach over and brush a stray strand of hair from her forehead. His fingers lingered on her temple, sending shivers down her spine. "I can believe it. But I can't believe you didn't tell me you were doing… a full-on victory dance in my absence."
"Hey! You weren't here!" she shot back, giggling. "And this was private… my happy dance corner!"
He leaned against the doorframe, watching her like a predator admiring his territory, but there was warmth in his gaze too. "Private, huh? Guess I'll have to crash more celebrations then."
Viola rolled her eyes, laughing as she twirled once more with her laptop. "Oh, yeah, sure, Mack. Come in and take all the credit while I do all the work."
"I wouldn't take credit," he said, moving closer until the space between them disappeared. "I'd just… be the one lucky enough to witness it."
Her heart jumped, and for a second, she forgot all about her exhaustion. "Lucky, huh?" she teased, her fingers brushing the side of his arm. "You're a little late to the party, aren't you?"
He smiled, low and dangerous. "Never too late. And maybe I'm early. Early enough to remind you… I want to celebrate with you. All of it. Even the messy bun, the happy dances, the chaos… everything."
Viola blinked, heat rising in her chest. "All of it?"
"All of it," he confirmed, closing the last of the distance between them, his hand sliding to the small of her back. "Because this… you… is mine to admire."
She laughed, breathless and light, and threw her arms around him, tugging him in for a kiss that started playful but deepened quickly—hot, messy, and perfectly timed to match the chaos of the moment.
Mack grinned against her lips, whispering, "See? I told you… I'm early to the party."
And just like that, the room was filled with laughter, kisses, and the warmth of a victory celebrated together—messy bun and all.