“Ry, you’re going to choke. Sit up,” I demand before I stuff my face with chips.
It’s that kind of day—where I wallow in despair. Wondering where I went wrong and reevaluating my life choices. I know I’m only twenty-nine, but I had a plan.
Graduate high school, graduate culinary school, make a name for me, and live happily ever after.
Boom. Done.
Instead, I have a pile of crumbs on top of my shirt because I don’t know how to properly feed myself.
“If I die, I die. At least I go out with a bang while I eat my favorite candy,” Riley replies lazily.
I hear my phone buzz from the floor next to Riley’s head.
“Who is it?” I ask in a careless tone.
Riley doesn’t move her head or body but reaches her arm across her face to grab it. She looks at the screen and shows it to me.
She shakes my phone toward me. “It’s Rowan.”
“What does it say?”
She’s quiet for a moment and then says, “Ooooh,” in a tone like I’m about to get in trouble.
The box of candy falls off her stomach and onto the floor, getting sugar everywhere. Great.
“What?” I ask annoyingly.
She turns toward me, walking on her knees to me.Did something bad happen? Did something happen to Milo? His mom? The brewery?I sit up just as quickly and snatch the phone from her hand. The floppy bun on my head droops to the side, with loose strands of hair falling out.
Rowan: Hey, El. I wasn’t sure if I should text you this or ask you over the phone or in person. I figured this would be the easiest since I’m at work and can’t really leave.
The gray dots appear, bouncing as I wait for his reply. I look up at Riley who has crawled her way over and is kneeling next to me, looking at the screen.
“What do you think he’s going to ask?” I look at Riley.
“I don’t know, but it’s going to be good. I can feel it.” Riley beams.
I look at her and squint my eyes. “You’re so odd. You know that?”
Riley slaps my arm over and over and says, “he texted!”
We both look at the screen, and my eyes almost leave my face.
Rowan: Can I take you out to dinner?
Riley looks at me with her jaw still on the floor. “Holy shit. I can’t believe he just asked you out. It’s like high school all over again.”
“He didn’t ask me out. He asked if I wanted to get food with him.”
I refuse to let my mind wander. Rowan and I have gone out to eataloneplenty of times in the past few years. The only difference now is I’m single.
“He’s probably wanting to go to the diner or something,” I muse. “Or that taco place I like.”
“El, you’re joking, right? Yeah, sure. Let’s see where he suggests first, shall we?” Riley looks back at the phone.
“Riley, even if it was a date, which it isn’t, you know it would be a bad idea.”
“Bad idea, my ass. It would be a great idea. You two werethecouple back in high school. Everyone thought you were going to be high school sweethearts.”
