Page 92 of Perfect (mis)Match

“Totally kidding. You’ve been incredible.”

I plopped into the roller chair in the middle of our brand-new office. Setting up was taking longer than expected, but we’d both been having a blast easing into our new space. The brick-walled former garment district cutting room was bigger than we thought we needed, but Mercedes had convinced us we’d grow into it way quicker than we expected. The order just in from Italy was taking up plenty of space, and we weren’t even operating at full capacity yet.

My professional life was at an all-time high. I was so busy I didn’t have time to think about the nightmare that was my personal life.

“You ready to head out for a quick bite?” Darcy asked. “I’m starving.”

“Not yet. I have a couple of emails to send, plus I want to hang my photos. I picked them up from the framers today.”

“Oh, let me help then,” Darcy said. “Where’s the toolbox?”

“Stop it. I know you’re meeting that bartender later tonight; you don’t have to hide it from me. Go home and start getting ready.”

“I just feelbadgoing out on a date,” she sighed. “I hate what that asshole did to you, and that it went down right as our dreams were coming true.” She swept her hand around the space.

“I’m totally fine,” I lied. “Better to figure it out now, before I got too wrapped up in his bullshit. Work is a great distraction.”

“You have a point,” she agreed. She squinted at me. “You sure you don’t mind if I head out?”

I pointed at the door. “Go.”

Darcy ran over to give me a quick hug, and as the door shut behind her, I paused to take stock of the after-hours work I still needed to take care of before I left for the day.

Hang photos.

Finish assembling the shelving unit.

Rearrange the shipping and receiving tables.

Respond to the twenty new emails I hadn’t had a chance to address during business hours.

My to-do list was endless, but I was loving every second. Staying busy kept my mind from wandering.

Most of the time.

There were still moments when I was reminded of Vincent against my will. A bus passing by with my photo of Maya, Rodrigo, and the bottle ofEvermoreon the side of it. A social media post from someone visiting Hawaii. Even fresh flowers outside the neighborhood bodegas made my heart pinch with memories of Vincent.

Thinking of him was pointless. Each day that passed brought me a little more distance, to the point where I could almost convince myself he’d been the absoluteworstduring our time together.

My head was able to buy into my revisionist history, but convincing my heart was proving to be more of a challenge.

I started stacking broken down boxes when the locked main door rumbled like someone was trying to break in. I laughed to myself at Darcy’s nonstop-ness. She moved through life at warp speed, and I was always trying to keep up with her.

“Hold on,” I yelled as I ran across the giant space. “Gimme a sec, woman.”

I slid the door open and froze when I saw who was on the other side of it.

“Vincent.”

“Hey,” he said. He looked exhausted, and I immediately felt a pang, despite everything. “Can we talk for a second?”

My heart shouted, “Yes, I’ve missed you, what took you so long?” but I forced myself to close the door on that feeling. That organ in my chest was a ridiculous asshole that couldn’t be trusted.

I didn’t even realize I was physically closing the door in front of me until it came to a stop on an expensive-looking black loafer, getting a shocked cry out of Vincent.

“Seriously, Piper?”

“I have nothing to say to you,” I said through the half-closed door. “You should leave.”

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