Page 48 of His Curvy Distraction

I wish you’d give me another chance. I don’t know why you thought meeting was such a bad idea, but I’m happy I met you.

I’m the only one. I am happy you showed up, even late. I was looking forward to sitting across a table from you and seeing the smile I always imagined on your face.

Now that I think about it, I feel like I should have known who you were. I was drawn to you in person, too.

Again, I’m the only one. But for the record, you are beautiful and fun and all the things I want in a woman. Awkward doesn’t scare me off. It’s in your name. I expected it. But I wasn’t scared by it.

Dating is never easy, and anyone who isn’t interested in you is a fool.

But if you’re not interested in dating, or in dating me, then I don’t know why I’m pushing. You made it clear how you feel.

I was not disappointed when I saw you. I’m sorry you were.

I won’t keep bothering you. I hope you find someone else you are excited about meeting one day. Goodbye.

“Did he message you?” Daisy asked.

I nodded, tearing my gaze from the messages. “Thirteen times.”

“What did he say?” Goldie asked.

I could feel the collective intake of breath. I could feel their anxiety and curiosity. I hated that I was going to crush their hopes, the hopes I also felt, stronger than the other emotions.

“He said goodbye,” I whispered.

“He what? Just goodbye?” Elise blurted. “What a jerk?”

I shook my head and put my phone away. “He didn’t start with that. He started with wanting to talk, but when I didn’t answer, he ended with goodbye.”

“So there’s a chance. If he messaged you, he’s interested,” Daisy said, forever the optimist.

“No,” I said. “It’s not worth it. It’s for the best that he’s going to walk away. We’re not right for each other.”

“I think you’re wrong,” Elise said. “But I also know you need to get there on your own. What I will say is I’m sorry for whatever made you think you’re not good enough for him. I hope you find a way to heal from that.”

I gasped, meeting her gaze and hating that she was able to see through me so easily.

“What are you talking about? What is she talking about?” Daisy asked.

“It was a long time ago,” I admitted.

“But it obviously still hurts,” Elise countered.

I drew a breath and let it out slowly. “My high school crush was the class president. He was popular and funny and every girl in school wanted to date him. For some reason, he liked me.”

“You never told me this,” Daisy whispered.

I breathed a laugh. “It’s not easy to talk about my first heartbreak. But Tony was it. He was my lab partner in chemistry. Too nice to argue or say anything about not wanting to be my partner. We got to know each other, studied together, and became friends. He asked me to prom. It was like a dream. I never thought a boy like him would want me.”

“What happened?” Elise asked.

I shrugged. “It wasn’t that bad.”

“But something happened.” Blake was sure of it.

I nodded. “We went to the dance and this girl who liked Tony got him out on the dance floor. Was all over him. She was pretty and thin and popular like he was. He didn’t push her off or tell her he was with me, just kept dancing with her. After half the night, he found me and said he was going to spend the rest of the night with her. That she wanted to dance and they were having fun and I was just sitting on the side.”

“What a jerk,” Goldie breathed.

---