She makes a grab for the jumping four-year-old, who lets out an earsplitting screech for seemingly no reason. I don’t even flinch, but Julian nearly stumbles off his stool. I’m sure it’s a sound he thinks he’ll never get used to, but over the years I’ve learned the art of blocking out screaming demon children. Bella sets down the screaming toddler on the carpet, taking out Mari’s favorite blue bunny from her bag to distract her.
“There’s a method to my madness,” Julian says, climbing down from his stool to introduce himself to Bella. “Nice to meet you.”
She ignores his extended hand, crossing her arms over her chest and looking him up and down as if taking his measure. “I hope you’re taking care of my girl, here.”
“Don’t mind her playing the part of protective best friend, even when it’s not needed,” I tell him. “She knows there’s nothing going on between us. At least, not anymore.”
“Which means I know all about the worst relived date in history,” Bella adds.
“Ouch.” He places a hand over his chest, faux-wounded. “It wasn’t really that bad, was it?” He glances at me in question.
“Not red-flag bad,” I hedge. “It was…mediocre bad.”
Is it me, or do his eyes dim just a bit? A sour, guilty feeling fillsmy stomach. I’m not sure I could even accurately describe the date as mediocre. I clear my throat, unable to look at him after what feels like lying to him.
“She’s had worse. Trust me.”
I stick my tongue out at Bella, because I am a mature twenty-six-year-old woman. And because she’s equally as mature, she sticks hers out right back at me. “All right, that’s enough fun for one evening. I’ve gotta get this one some dinner and then off to bed.”
“Don’t act like you’re not gonna be eavesdropping from three feet away the entire time.” I shoot her a mock-glare.
“In that case, feel free to raise your voices so I can hear better.” She smirks before making her way into the kitchen.
By the time Julian and I are finished, the top row is tacked with profiles of everyone Julian swiped right on. Below that are people I’ve matched with, and directly under each picture are printouts of our message exchanges. I take my time reading them, marveling at how in-depth Julian’s line of questioning is while pretending to be me. But the only person up here I feel any connection to is Nathaniel, which makes sense because he’s the only one I’ve messaged myself.
I find his profile on the wall and read through it again. Nathaniel believes in soulmates and that chivalry is far from dead. A grad student studying finance, he loves to travel, hike, and make life into an adventure. Over the past couple of days of messaging inconsistently, he’s made me laugh twice.
“All right, don’t go getting lovestruck on me yet,” Julian says, to which I roll my eyes. I’d hardly call myselflovestruckover Nathaniel. “You’ve got a few more matches to inspect.”
Not only is he right, but the competition is also steep. They all seem great in their own, unique ways. If they don’t believe in soulmates, they’re each looking for committed relationships and to settle down in the next stage of their lives.
“I know I said the other day that Nathaniel was in the lead, but I think I can picture you best with her.” He points to the profile of a woman named Anerie. She comes from a military family, has lived in twelve countries, worked a handful off odd jobs, and—
“She’s a gamer!” I let out a squeal. When that isn’t enough to let out my excitement, I throw my arms around Julian’s neck in a hug tighter than I intend. He’s stiff from surprise at first, but then reciprocates. He chuckles near my ear as his arms wrap around my back, the sound vibrating against my skin. I melt into the warmth of him, the spice of his cologne filling my nostrils. I resist the urge to inhale, belatedly realizing this hug has lasted approximately thirty seconds too long.
I clear my throat past the sudden tension in the air. When I look up, Bella’s expression is too knowing for its own good. My arms fall back to my sides, and Julian takes a careful step back from me.
“You’re surprisingly good at this.” I’m not sure what possesses me to playfully punch his arm. Maybe it’s a method of alleviating the tension still present in my chest cavity. “Good work, pal.”
Bella has to hide a laugh with a fake cough, overselling the bit by pounding a fist on her chest. Luckily, Julian doesn’t seem to notice.
“Anytime,” he says. “Let me know if any of them work out.”
“I will,” I say, overwhelmed with gratitude. “I can’t believe you did all this. Granted, some of it was without my knowledge or consent, but still.” I shake my head, unable to understand it. I’ve done nothing to deserve this from him. In fact, I’ve been nothing but an asshole to him ever since our second first date. I should apologize, but would it be too little too late?
“Don’t mention it. Seriously.” He taps my foot with his. “It’s enough to see you happy.”
Somehow, that only makes me feel worse. Bella is practically swooning behind him, which doesn’t help my case. That guilty feeling persists long after he leaves, and I have no idea what to do about it.
15
Leti
So.” Bella makes quick work of opening the boxed wine once Julian leaves, halting the path back to my bedroom. I glare at the peach prosecco as she pours it into the largest wineglass we own.My kryptonite.A fact she’s well aware of, which is how I know the conversation we’re about to have can’t possibly be good. My stare is practically withering by the time she opens a jar of peach slices and slides both across the counter. Mari is fast asleep in her room, and my best friend has cornered me with cheap wine and syrupy, processed fruit.
“Anything you’d like to tell me?”
“I have no idea what you mean.” One glass is harmless. Two, even. But three is the magic number to make me spill my figurative guts. The glass she’s slid in front of me? Half the box could fit inside without issue, and she’s filled this sucker to the rim. I take a careful sip, ensuring there’s no chance of spillage before I go to town on this baby. “By the way, if you keep supplying me with these, my tolerance is gonna go up.”
