Page 11 of Before I Knew

I wasn’t sure if that sounded creepy or like a come on, but when she gave me a laughing emoji, my shoulders relaxed.

Blakely:

I shouldn’t.

Me:

We should do it anyway.

Blakely:

Okay, that sounds like a good argument.

I straightened in my chair, my hand tightening around my phone.

Me:

Okay then. Tomorrow? Just coffee. No murder.

Blakely:

Okay. I can do that. Not the murder thing. Although all I know about you is that you live in Colorado. You could be hours away.

Me:

Meet me at Taboo. Do you know that place? It’s downtown.

I could see the chat bubble light up again before she answered.

Blakely:

I know the place. And I work downtown. Coincidence.

Yeah, coincidence. Or maybeshewas a serial killer.

I had a date with a wrong number.

And I didn’t want to be wrong aboutthis.

Chapter Two

BLAKLEY

“I’m definitely goingto be murdered, right?” I asked as I paced my bedroom.

My best friend Isabella stared at her phone while perched on the edge of my bed, her legs crossed, and a small frown on her face.

When she didn’t say anything, I cleared my throat and asked again. “Am I really going to get murdered if I do this?”

Isabella put down her phone and looked up at me, a small smile playing on her face now. I had known Isabella for years and she was one of my best friends. She was also one of the most beautiful people I knew. Her whole family was, if I were honest. She had three gorgeous sisters, and her brother was a man who apparently made people swoon when he walked into a room. I had always thought of him as Isabella’s younger brother, so that hadn’t been a thing in my eyes. But now as I stared at my friend, I had to wonder if I’d lost my mind about the decisions I’d made.

“No. Maybe. I hope not.”

“Not helpful.” We grinned at each other before she shook her head.

“Honestly, a group chat? So they just entered your number and suddenly you were part of their meeting? That sounds a little suspicious.”

“I know, right? But it does happen. You’ve heard of it happening. There was that whole viral moment where a grandma texted the wrong person inviting him to Thanksgiving, and then it turned into this heartwarming thing.”

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