Page 19 of When the Fake Snow Falls

“He could just be good at hiding it.” Miles taps on his tagged photos, and that’s where we find a different version of Chase.

There are so many beautiful women.

“Fuckboy in hiding!” Miles cheers and he scrolls down, and down, and down, to show all the pictures of Chase smiling at the camera with stunning women at his side. Some photos have men and women in a group setting, but there are definitely more women in these than not.

Myoverly honesttheory crumbles at my feet.

“When are you getting drinks with this hot man as just his friend?” Miles asks, still scrolling.

“We didn’t get that far.”

He nods to my phone on the counter. “Text him.”

Now it’s my turn to stare. “You just said I was being too generous by not turning him down!”

“I know, but I’ve reconsidered.” He shrugs. “And you need to get laid.”

I almost choke. “What are you talking about? I go on dates all the time.”

“Yes, dates. But when’s the last time you slept with someone?” He cocks a knowing eyebrow, and my eyes narrow.

“It hasn’t been that long.” I do the math on my fingers. “It’s only been . . .” I frown. “Eight months?”

“Eight?” With a shake of his head, he says, “Damn, Candace. I thought you were going to say three—maybefour.” He looks me up and down. “Eight months. Jesus Christ.”

I let out a bewildered laugh. “Come on, that’s not so bad!”

“What about that guy you went on a few dates with back in October? I thought you liked him.”

“I did like him,” I say simply. “Just not enough to sleep with him.” Pointing at him, I add, “Which ended up being a good thing because he lied about taking care of his grandma. She was definitely the one taking care of him.”

He points to my phone again. “Seriously, text him,” he says before spinning around to go back to his game. It looks like the match has since ended.

With a groan, I make a dramatic show of reaching for my phone and pulling it toward me. “But whyyyy?”

“Because, even if it doesn’t turn into anything, you need to go on a date with a guy you actually want to sleep with.”

“Who says I want to sleep with him?”

Giving me a lazy sideways glance, Miles deadpans. “You’re blushing.”

Being called out only makes my cheeks flare more, but I aggressively flip my phone over. “Fine. I’ll text him.”

Candace:

8 tomorrow night. Stem and Leaf.

I’m surprised when a response quickly comes in.

Chase:

Sounds good, friend.

nine

Taking a steadying breath,I stare up at the sign for Stem and Leaf. I’m stopped on the sidewalk a few feet before the entrance. The limestone wash on the brick exterior brings a stark contrast to the black trim around the glass paneled doors. Even the dark framing of the windows pop with the modern color scheme.

All day I’ve been a wreck. Five clients, a coffee break courtesy of Amanda, and a few oddly encouraging texts from Miles, have made the hours fly by. But even with the distractions, all I’ve been able to think about is Chase and our impendingfrienddate.

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