Page 79 of He Falls First

The amateur astronomer retreats and I watch him go, feeling a rush—I’m no longer the girl who would have stammered an apology for not being interested. I may have started out faking my confidence to land a guy, but somewhere along the way, it became real.

Allison’s laugh is a snort, unfiltered and loud. “Look at you, shooting ‘em down without batting an eyelash.”

“Girl’s on fire,” Cora agrees, the corners of her eyes crinkling with pride.

Allison raises her glass. “You’ve come a long way from the days when you’d apologize for breathing too loudly.”

“Cheers to that,” Cora adds, and we clink our drinks together, the sound sharp and satisfying.

“Seriously though, Liz.” Allison leans in. “Hendrix must be good for you.”

“Or maybe,” Cora says thoughtfully, swirling the dark liquid in her glass, “it was always in you, just waiting for the right moment to take flight.”

“Could be,” I concede with a playful shrug, reaching for my drink. “But enough about me. Let’s talk about what’s next for you guys.”

As the night unfolds around us, I relish this feeling of undisturbed warmth. I know my worth now. I’ll never again settle for less than I deserve. And if that isn’t worth celebrating, I don’t know what is.

“Anyway, back to what we really need to know,” Allison says. “You gonna tell us how a billionaire does it in the bedroom or what?”

My cheeks warm, but I deflect with a laugh. “Why so curious, Ally? Shouldn’t you be backstage somewhere, rubbing elbows with guitar gods instead of grilling me about my sex life?”

She shrugs, sipping from her straw. “Musicians go on tour, babe. Since my bed is empty right now, I’m living vicariously through you. Indulge me.”

“I’m the one who has to live vicariously,” Cora says. “Happy for you both, I swear, but you guys gotta let me rub off some of your luck for my love life.”

I shake my head. “It’s not luck. It’s the pledge!”

“I guess it did work wonders for you,” she says.

“More than I ever imagined,” I admit, feeling the corners of my mouth lift involuntarily at the thought of Hendrix. “But it wasn’t just about getting the guy. It also taught me to value myself. To not settle.”

“Don’t we know it,” Allison says. “It’s about time one of these fools fell hard first.”

“Speaking of which.” I turn to Cora, resting my chin on my hand. “When are you going to start acting on the pledge yourself?”

She shrugs, a touch of melancholy dimming her smile.

“Easy for you to say,” she murmurs, tracing the rim of her glass with a finger. “You and Ally have had these wild adventures with rock stars and billionaires. But me? I’ve got book launches and library fines. My life’s not nearly that exciting.”

“Hey now,” I say, “the pledge can work in mysterious ways.”

“No kidding.” Allison nods emphatically. “Who knows? Maybe Mr. Right is just around the corner, waiting to fall head over heels for our Cora.”

“Maybe he already has,” I say with an eyebrow wiggle.

“Yeah, right!” Cora throws her head back and laughs. “Okay, universe. If he’s already fallen for me, then it’s time to show me a sign and tell me who the hell he is.”

I give her hand a squeeze, because if she’s really embracing the pledge, then she’s in for a ride.

“I have a feeling you’ll find out soon enough,” I promise her.

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