“Are you okay?” she asked, her brows pulled together. “Was it something I said?”
I could only imagine the look on my face. A mix of shock, unbelief, suspicion, and possibly a little bit of fear.
“Uh …” I swallowed, trying to compose myself. “No. I just remembered something I forgot to do.” I looked away from her, not knowing where to go from here. My mind was reeling.
“Oh, okay. Well, um …” She fumbled, obviously feeling the shift in my mood. She stood, brushing off her jeans. “I should probably get going. I assume you have an early day tomorrow, right?”
I walked her to the door, trying not to sound like I was spiraling. “Yeah. I need to make sure I stay focused.”
“Yeah, of course.” She nodded, her voice quiet.
I opened the door, suddenly feeling like a robot.
Livvi hesitated in the doorway, her eyes searching mine. For what, I wasn’t sure. An explanation, maybe. Reassurance. Something I wasn’t sure I could give her right now.
“Good luck in Austin,” she said softly, like she was hoping to get back to where we’d been only minutes ago.
I nodded, managing what I hoped was a normal smile. “Thanks.”
We said our goodbyes, and when the door clicked shut behind her, I leaned my forehead against it for a moment, trying to get my breathing under control.
ReadToLiv. Liv. Livvi.
It shouldn’t have mattered, but somehow it felt like everything had just changed.
Eventually, I walked back to the couch and sat down, my eyes settling on the fish tank. The blue tang swamlazily in the soft glow, oblivious to the situation I found myself in.
Could it really be her? CouldReadToLivactually be Livvi?
I shook my head, leaning back. What were the chances? It seemed too convenient, too perfect. How would two random people online meet and be not only in the same town, but also the same age, and accidentally meet in person soon after? It all seemed a little too planned. Right?
Pulling out my laptop, I logged in asTheWriteGuy, needing to check last night’s message thread just to make sure I wasn’t making all of this up.
I scrolled up and read the messages I knew would be there.
ReadToLiv
There is. But honestly, it made me realize I’d be terrible at naming things. Seems easier to keep brainstorming, hoping at some point I get it right.
ReadToLiv
Exactly. Like if you name it wrong, you’re stuck with it forever.
The words seemed to pop off the screen, taunting me.
My brain wouldn’t stop replaying everything—every late-night message, every in-person conversation with Livvi. Piece by piece, it all started clicking together, like someone had finally turned the light on in a dark room.
Gosh. It really was her.
And if it was her … did she know? Had she known this the whole time?
Was this her plan? Some kind of elaborate scheme to get to know me better? To trick me into opening up in ways I never had with anyone else?
Or would she be as blindsided as I was?
Her face flashed in my mind, the way she’d looked tonight when she’d realized something had shifted in me. There hadn’t been anything manipulative about her expression—if anything, she’d looked uncertain, like she wasn’t sure what she’d said wrong.
I dragged a hand over my face. I didn’t know what to do with this. With any of it.
