Page 60 of The Problem with Dating

“I think you’re awful.”

She swung her legs back over the sofa arm and inched closer to me. “I think you’re lying.”

“I think I’m lying, too.”

She smiled and I wanted to do everything in my power to keep that smile on her face. How idiotic past Alex was to think that Yara was a liar due to her niceness to everyone. It just turned out that she was, in fact…nice. She was beyond nice. She was the kind of good that poets wrote love sonnets about. The kind of good that people prayed to cross paths with. The kind of good that people hurt the most.

“Kitty Kat?” she asked, arching a brow.

“What?”

“Can I call you Kitty Kat?”

I stared at her as if she’d grown five heads. “Excuse me?”

“It’s another nickname option. I’m a golden retriever, and you’re a black cat. I figured I could call you Kitty Kat.”

“In no way, shape, or form should you ever call me Kitty Kat.”

She pouted and crossed her arms with a heavy huff. “You’re no fun.”

“Whoever told you I was fun?”

“My imagination.” She fussed for a second before pointing toward me. “Oh! I got it. I’ll call you Mr. Black.”

“Mr. Black?”

“You know…black cat. Plus, it’s mysterious. Like you.”

I smiled. “It’s better than Kitty Kat.”

“I still like Kitty Kat, Mr. Black.”

“I’m sure you do, Goldie.”

“Hey.”

“Yeah?”

“Remember when my psycho ex told my crush not to go out with me?”

“Yeah, Goldie. I remember that.”

“And then my psycho ex showed up to dinner?”

“Yup.”

“That kind of sucked.”

“He kind of sucks.”

“Yeah,” she agreed. She blew out a big puff of air. “I still don’t know what to do about him. Before, it was just hearsay that he was stopping people from dating me, but now I have literal proof from Jake.”

“Josh.”

“Whatever.” She waved me off. “I knew Cole was controlling during our relationship, but I didn’t think he’d be that way after the divorce. That was the whole reason I got away from him.”

“Look at it this way. You’re weeding out the weak. Any real man wouldn’t be scared off by your ex.”

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