“So, are you going to let me in or…” Piper trails off, and I step aside.
“You didn’t need to come and check on me,” I say as she takes off her shoes near the door.
“Oh, please. You’re always being the strong one. Let me be there for you, now. Because this?” She motions to my face. “This is absolutely insane, and I can’t believe it’s happeningright now.”
“It is crazy, right?” I ask, my body surging with relief.
“It is. Really absurd. So was dousing yourself in cleaner to mute your scent.”
“Yup,” I murmur. “I can’t believe I did that.”
“Yeah.” Piper collapses on my couch in the front room like she’s done hundreds of times, bag in hand. “You scared the hell out of Maeve and me. By the way, I brought you some stuff to help with all this.”
I join her on the couch. “What stuff?”
She pulls out everything one by one. “Scent blocker gummies, body wash, and more deodorant. An anti-stress candle, some snacks, and slick pads. Oh, also nesting socks. Have you heard of those?”
I groan. “No, and I don’t know if I want to.”
“You’re going to be nesting whether or not you like it,” she adds gently, handing me the pack of thick, soft teal socks. “I figured you might as well be as comfortable as possible.”
I run my fingers over the soft material. “Who else knows about the match?”
“I didn’t tell anyone, but Maeve found out,” Piper sighs. “Mari doesn’t know, at least.”
Small miracles, I think to myself.
“Wait. How did Maeve find out if you didn’t tell her?”
“Uh…” Piper bites her lip. “Well…he was kind of talking to the cats about you.”
I stare at her. “He was what.” I deadpan.
“Maeve caught him talking to the cats about you, kind of asking them for advice.”
“Oh, my god,” I groan. “Really?”
Piper chuckles. “I mean, it could be worse, right? The cats all loved him. You saw that. And he went home with Ash.”
My heart warms at her statement. “That’s good, at least. Ash needs someone sweet.”
There are a few beats of silence as I chew my lip and stare off into the distance. But out of the corner of my eye, I can see Piper watching me.
“Yes?” I ask her, still not looking at her.
“What are you feeling, right now?”
I used to ask her that a lot, back when she was in her self-destructive streak. My best friend came out on the other side of it, more grounded than she’s ever been, and I appreciate her checking in on me.
I sigh. “Truthfully?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m thinking about Travis and feeling disappointed,” I admit, shame coloring my cheeks. “I’m thinking about how I wish he was my match.”
Silence.
“And I’m thinking about how that makes me a shitty person,” I mutter.
