I need your help. My MS is written in 3rd person past. It's a romance. A date has just ended and my heroine is at home, wishing the hero had stayed for the night. I'm struggling with past tense and hypotheticals/wishes because what I see online speaks to wishes regarding things that have happened in the past. (i.e. I wish my parents had survived the car crash.)
Here's an example where I want to make sure I have the right tense. This is what I have right now:
"If Mark had stayed, she could imagine him surrounding her with his firm body, keeping her warm."
Should it be: she could have imagined him?
Or if I say: She wished he'd have stayed. She could (have) imagine(d) him...
Help me! haha. Thanks in advance.
Here's an example where I want to make sure I have the right tense. This is what I have right now:
"If Mark had stayed, she could imagine him surrounding her with his firm body, keeping her warm."
Should it be: she could have imagined him?
Or if I say: She wished he'd have stayed. She could (have) imagine(d) him...
Help me! haha. Thanks in advance.