Page 64 of Love Harder

Brooklyn texted and said he was ten minutes away. Okay, now I was just damn nervous.

I texted Mötley, who, as always, made me feel better. She wanted hourly updates, regardless of the time difference.

Talking to her always calms me.

I could do this.

If we didn’t vibe, then we didn’t. I was happy I was courageous enough to put myself out there because you’ve read my tragic past.

Frankie waited for Brooklyn in the driveway, sipping her cocktail; god, I love that woman.

His truck pulled in, and I died.

This was it…there’s no turning back now.

I waited by the pool as Frankie greeted him. I could see by her face that she approved. The time had come.

It’s all a little surreal, and no matter how many positive affirmations you recite, nothing really prepares you for this.

Brooklyn was moving his truck, and Frankie ran over, saying he was cuter than his pictures and it was really him. I wasn’t being catfished. He was taller than I thought, and he was nervous.

I got the rundown in ten seconds.

That’s all I needed to hear.

I waited for him, and the moment he stepped from his truck, the first thing I noticed was how blue his eyes were.

And yes, he was taller than I thought.

He said hello in that deep New York accent that had become my soundtrack for weeks, and then he kissed me.

Did I feel the proverbial butterflies?

Was it love at first sight?

No.

Not the answer I was expecting either. But I had that with men prior, and we all know how those ended.

So I didn’t read too much into it because when we hugged, it warmed every part of me from head to toe. And that, to me, is just as important as feeling that spark when you first kiss.

Brooklyn met my friends and was very polite.

I watched him engage and liked that he held eye contact and was confident but not arrogant. He held his own and was the alpha he claimed to be.

I could see he was exhausted from work, so we went upstairs. The entire time, I was waiting for that something, something. The cute-meet moment.

But it never came.

It was just…weird.

I don’t know what I was expecting, but I guess because we had spoken for so long, I thought we might bypass any weirdness.

But something was missing.

He made some calls for work, and I sat across from him, watching him.

This was the guy who had tackled me out of nowhere and made me feel things I didn’t want to experience again. And now that he was here, my head and my heart battled.

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