Easier said than done.
So now my team had a plan.
They wanted to bring Jonas—Demi’s ex—on to the show. The idea was that maybe if he showed up, she’d stop playing matchmaker for everyone else and start focusing on her own love life. And if we were lucky, there’d be sparks. Maybe even drama.
Jazzy had even suggested they share a cabin. Said it would “spice things up.”
I had shut that down immediately. I reminded them that we weren’t that kind of show. What if Jonas turned out to be a pig who didn’t care about consent? It would be on us.
I didn’t think he was. But Demi had made it clear—he wasn’t the man she’d once loved. And the last thing I wanted was to watch her play house with some yahoo I already hated for no other reason than he’d had her first.
But while they wouldn’t be sharing a cabin, his appearance was a done deal. Jazzy had already talked to Jonas, who was apparently thrilled to have a second chance with Demi.Bastard. He would arrive tomorrow. Along with the exes of Todd, Jessica, Brinley, Diego, and Carter. The former NBA star actually had several to choose from, and they all wanted another shot at him. And two of them were what Jazzy called “attention-seeking drama queens.” It was just what the show needed, she claimed.
It sounded like a headache to me, but Jazzy was right. Except it sounded wrong. Cheap and icky, like Demi would say. I was beginning to wonder if I did cheapen love and sell it. But there was no time for me to have an existential crisis.
The clock was ticking, and we were no closer to finding Demi’s true love unless somehow, magically, Jessica or Brinley’s exes or Jonas happened to be it. Demi seemed more than sure it wasn’t Jonas, but I wasn’t sure she could entirely rule him out. What if her soul just hadn’t recognized him? It was worth letting my powers have a go at him.
Even though for the last few days she’d been uninterested in even discussing other possibilities. She said that she and Cassie were working on it. Whatever “it” was.
Which probably should have made me feel like a prop, considering she kept kissing me during her search for her true love. But I couldn’t help but want to be used by her. That sounded wrong. However, it didn’t feel like she was using me. It felt . . . well . . . different. Either that or I was so smitten with her that I’d become a tool without even realizing it.
And oddly, if that was the case, I was okay with it. Because for once in my life, the void in me didn’t seem so deep. I wasn’t sure if that was a gift from Eros because he was pleased with my efforts to help Demi, or if it was just the effect Demi had on me. And if it was the latter, I feared whatthat would mean for me when she completed this quest and moved on with her true love.
“Roman, is that you?” my mom called.
No more stalling.
With trepidation, I walked in and found Demi dancing with Junie. She twirled my daughter around the kitchen like they’d been doing it for years. Both of them were smudged with flour, laughing, glowing, and the smell of my favorite chocolate peanut butter cookies filled the air.
I stood there watching them. And for a moment, I let myself imagine what it would be like if this weren’t temporary. If this were ours.
What was I even thinking?
I was thinking that Demi looked perfect in her tiny shorts and T-shirt, hair in a ponytail, dancing like she didn’t care and making my daughter smile. It was a vision.
Mom caught my eye, and it was as if she knew what I was thinking, and she nodded like she agreed with me. Demi looked like she belonged with us. But it was impossible.
She twirled Junie one last time before pulling her close, arms wrapped around her, both of them beaming at me.
“Hey there. I hope you don’t mind that I stopped by. This girl here summoned Lady Goldy, and I was told she had a cookie emergency and needed my help.”
“I just really wanted to see Demi,” Junie delivered her line with perfect comedic timing, making us all laugh.
I stepped closer, heart thudding. “I don’t mind at all. Actually, I wanted to talk to you.”
Demi tilted her head, catching the shift in my tone. She could read me too well. Not that I wasn’t happy to see her, but I didn’t want to break the news to her about Jonas. Aboutany of it. I just wanted to curl up with her and Junie on the couch and watch a movie, and then after Junie fell asleep, I wanted to . . . well, wrap Demi up and not sleep. Not think. I just wanted to feel her and breathe the same breaths as her.
“Okay. Let me grab some cookies first, and then we can talk on the porch,” she suggested.
“Sounds great,” I responded.
“Don’t forget you promised to read to me,” Junie reminded Demi.
Demi squeezed her and kissed the top of her head. “I promise I won’t forget.”
Mom held out her hand to Junie. “Let’s go get ready for bed. It was good to see you again, Demi. Thanks for indulging my love of Toto and for letting me reminisce about old times.”
“I enjoyed it. Maybe I could come by again and we could talk more about my mom and boys?” She gave my mom a knowing smile. Which boys were they talking about? A jealous monster roared in my chest.
