Page 13 of Worth the Risk

When I pull out my phone to entertain myself on the train ride home, my jaw hits the floor. The notifications on the app are through the roof. Considering I haven’t posted a single video on this app and only ever posted a random picture of a flower or Becca’s cat on any other app in the last five years, this is beyond unexpected.

I sink down into my seat, my face buried in my phone like everyone else. I rewatch the video again, smiling uncontrollably when I see the thousands of likes and hundreds of comments.

Suddenly, I’m no longer sad about going home alone. I can’t wait to grab some snacks and park myself on the couch while I read through all of the comments.

CHAPTER 6

Austin

“What has you smiling like that?”

“Hmm?” Taylor slowly lifts her eyes from her phone to look at me.

“Your phone,” I say, nodding toward it. “You’ve been buried in it this last week.”

“Oh.” She shrugs, her eyes dropping back down to the screen. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“Care to share?” I pick mindlessly at a piece of lint on my knee before pushing off from the love seat in her office when it’s clear she has no intention of actually talking to me.

“Sorry,” she says after finally turning her phone over and placing it face down on her desk. “What’s up?”

“I was just stopping by to say hey.” I give her a confused look as if we don’t do this same thing every damn Friday since we started this firm.

“Hey.” She smiles, a glint in her eye.

Any frustration I felt a second ago melts away the instant she looks at me with that smile, the one that has warmth spreading through my chest like a shot of whiskey. Every time I feel thisway, I have to keep myself from saying something stupid like,Fuck that idiot; we both know you’re wasting time.

“So, Friday night in Chicago.” I flop back down onto the couch, reaching for my phone when it buzzes in my pocket. “Any big plans?”

I glance down, Mia’s name on my screen. I furrow my brows, remembering the way our first date ended, both of us confessing our unrequited love for someone else. An uncomfortable feeling settles in my stomach when I remember the way I drunkenly said the words out loud for the first time.

Mia

Bet you thought you wouldn’t hear from me again, huh? I have kind of a weird request… Would you maybe want to go on a second date?

“I don’t know why you even ask anymore.” She sighs, organizing the items on her desk. “What about you? How’d your date with Mia go?”

My eyes shoot to hers when she says her name, as if she can see through my phone or something. “Oh, yeah, Mia.” I laugh. “Funny you should ask.” I hold up my phone. “She just asked me on a second date.”

“Of course she did,” she half mutters, her focus still on rearranging her desk.

“Sorry, just going to respond to her really quick,” I say, turning back to my phone.

Austin

I can confidently say no, I did not expect to hear from you again. But considering how we left things… what has you asking for a second date? Looking to get over the last guy with a new one?

I contemplate how I would feel if she says yes, if I’d say yes if all it was going to be was just physical.

Of course you will. Pretty fucked up you’ll hook up with a complete stranger because she looks remotely like Taylor.

Mia

So this is going to be very unconventional but you’re the only person I’ve told I’m still in love with my ex who won’t judge me or remind me of all the awful things he did while we were together. My friends don’t want to hear it and while I don’t blame them, I need help getting over him but not sex. I just want a guy to give it to me straight, tell me what I’m doing wrong. And who knows, maybe I could give you some advice in return.

Austin

Intriguing… Can’t see why it would hurt.

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