“Leti.” I wheel around to face her, raising my empty hands in the air. “You invited me here, remember?”
“And I’m about to regret it.” Another sigh. “Maybe I don’t need to date. I can be happy if I’m alone for the rest of my life, right?”
“Is that what you want?” I ask her. “Because it didn’t seem like you did last weekend.”
“Dating is too hard.” She plops down on the mattress with a groan. “Maybe last weekend was a sign that I shouldn’t be datinganyone, no matter what it is I want.”
“You know, every healthy relationship requires opening yourself up to another person and a willingness to change your lifestyle at least a little bit.”
“What do you mean?” She looks up at me with a raised brow.
“You’re so guarded.” Her eyes flash, but I’m not done yet. “We haven’t started, and you’re already considering backing out. If you’re this uncomfortable with me looking around your room or evensittingin your chair, will you let a romantic partner? Or will you try and push them away too?”
Her eyes narrow. “You’re still here, aren’t you?”
“Only because I don’t scare easy.” I stare her down, unwilling to let her believe she can frighten me away. “Tell me something. Are you this way with everyone, or am I a special case?” A frown mars her mouth, but she doesn’t say anything. “Is this because of Andrew?”
“Maybe.” Finally, she sighs. “You’re…not what I expected.”
“What did you expect?”
“An asshole clone of my brother, I guess.” She lets out a laugh when my eyes widen. “Despite what I’ve seen of you so far, I think I’m still having trouble believing that you really aren’t anything like him.”
“You think your brother’s an asshole.” This is at least a partial answer concerning their rift, but it only raises more questions. “How come?”
“Oh no.” She shakes her head. “I know whose side you’re on in this cold war. You’re not getting anything about my brother out of me.”
“Fair enough, but we need to solve the issue at hand here,” I tell her. “You’ve already tried pushing me away a few times, haven’t you? Tell me—how’s that worked out for you so far?”
Her mouth drops open, but not a word comes out. Indignant, she pushes herself up to her elbows, staring at me in disbelief. “I—”
“You look adorable like that, by the way.” I smirk at her. “Speechless.”
Her eyes roll heavenward. “Don’t you think it’s a little hypocritical for you to be criticizing me in the form of relationship advice when you’ve never been in one yourself?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to criticize you,” I tell her. “As for the hypocrisy, Ihavebeen in a relationship. It just ended as quickly as it began. And I already told you. I’m better at—”
“Better at giving dating advice than actually dating. I remember,” she says. “What’s stopping you from applying that advice to yourself?”
“The last time I dated someone, apart from you, it didn’t work out well for either of us.” At least Ryan came out of it okay. He’s currently engaged to his boyfriend of one year, something I found out after a bit of social media sleuthing because we haven’t talked since the mess that was my aunt’s birthday party two years ago. I might’ve made a mess of my own life when we started dating, but at least it didn’t affect him as much as it did me.
Leti’s brows rise the slightest bit, as if she’s waiting for me to go on, and when I don’t, she sighs. “Cryptic, much?”
“I could say the same about you and your brother. Tell me yours, and I’ll tell you mine.” When she doesn’t budge, I let out a sigh even though part of me is relieved. For the first time since our second first date went up in flames, I let myself wonder what would’ve happened if we’d hit it off. Would I have made a mess of it eventually, like I made a mess of my relationship with Ryan?
Maybe it’s better that Leti and I are friends. I don’t know what’s going on between her and Andrew, but she’s right. He’s my best friend, which automatically puts me on his side. Even if I have no idea what his side is, because he’s told me as much about Leti as she has about him.
“Should we get started or what?”
“Right.” She nods and pulls out her phone. “One sec, let me text Bella real quick.”
While she’s occupied with her phone, I return my attention to her desk knickknacks. I figure it’s the quickest way to get her off that thing and get started, a theory that proves right when I pick up a tiny Charmander figurine and she snaps at me before announcing she’s ready.
“Great.” I set the little fire lizard down and take a seat beside her on the bed. Her nose scrunches as I hold out my hand for her phone, and I let out a sigh. “What now, woman?”
“I liked you better in the chair.”
“You didn’t even want me in your chair, if memory serves.” I stare her down again. “Quit complaining and hand it over.”
