Summary

In Chapter 18, Nora is proud of letting herself dance, but hesitates when Shepard asks if she is warming up to Sunshine Falls. Memories of herself, Libby, and her mother cause Nora to stumble but convinces her that staying with Shepard is how the story is supposed to go. When her phone rings, Nora recalls her beloved apartment and Charlie before she pulls away without kissing Shepard. He tells her to call, and Nora halfheartedly agrees.

The next day, Nora returns to the bookstore and tells Charlie she and Shepard had a good time, though he is skeptical. She struggles to compartmentalize all that needs to get done while thinking of Libby’s evasiveness. When Nora hears Amaya asking Charlie to meet on Friday, Nora assumes it is a date. By Friday, both of them read more pages of Frigid while Nora hopes Libby...