Page 38 of Meet Cute Reboot

“Green eggs and spam with a can of yams. Ya-mmmmm. My lips are vibrating!”

Cecelia throws an arm around Luke’s neck and leans into his chest. A second later, she pushes off and waves her hand in front of her nose. “Where did you get that cologne? Dollar Tree?”

“It’s not cologne. It’s deodorant.”

“It’s not working.”

I can’t stand back and watch Luke struggle with Cecelia’s weight any longer. I join him on the other side of the island.

“Thank God, Cassie.” Cecelia throws both arms around my neck. “You smell like lavender.” She buries her nose into my hair, and I lose balance and fall backward.

Luke dives behind me and props me up. Somehow, we divide his mom between us and shuffle her back into the family room. We carefully lay her down on the leather sofa and Luke covers her in a knitted blanket. Before he can stand, she grabs his shirt and pulls him closer. “If I want a house by the ocean, I’ll have a house by the ocean. You can’t stop me.”

“Sure, Mom.”

I grab a throw pillow and tuck it under Cecelia’s head. “You’re such a sweetheart, Cassie. I always knew you were the one. I’m glad Luke finally realized it.”

Ice flashes through my veins. I stand stiffly, steal a glance at Luke, but he’s looking away, his lips in a firm line like he felt the same surge of panic.

“Okay. I’m headed out,” I say hurriedly. “Take some Tylenol in the morning, Cecelia. You’ll feel better soon.”

She pulls the blanket up to her chin and snuggles into the pillow. “I feel amazing. Ya-mmmmm. It tickles.” She giggles, snorts, and then laughs.

“Great. Um.” I feel like I’m forgetting something. My phone. Luke moved it to the end table before we tucked Cecelia in. I take a deep breath, straighten my shirt, and walk over to my phone, and consequently, Luke. As I feared, he touches my elbow.

“Can we talk? On the front porch?”

I grab my phone and shove it into my back pocket. “This has been...enlightening? But I really need to go.”

“Ireallyneed to talk.”

“Didn’t your mom already say everything?”

“Exactly. Thanks, Mom.”

We both glance at her still form. She’s already asleep.

Luke looks desperate. What can he say to me that I don’t already know? He’s been sulking about me to the point of inebriation and then drunk dialing his mom, telling her his secrets, making her think I’m the one. I feel like I’ve descended into an alternate universe. I’m embarrassed, alarmed, mortified. But also...humored. My ex who cheated on me has been pining for me for who knows how long, and his drunk mother ratted him out. This day could be a sitcom episode.

I look at Luke, contemplate his worried expression and defeated stance, and can’t help but smile. Life with Luke always was full of laughter and surprises.

“Fine,” I say. “Walk me out?”

Chapter 10

Luke

That couldn’t have gone any worse.

A storm of emotions is swirling in me. It’s a tornado in there: bits of my shattered self-confidence whirling around tiny specks of my obliterated pride, fueled by squalls of embarrassment. My mom picked a great time to fuel up on vodka.

I follow Cassie onto the front porch. She turns, folds her arms, and looks up at me with amusement lining the corners of her eyes. That’s a good sign. She’s not flaming mad.

“I am so sorry,” I say after closing the door behind us. “I’ve never seen her that drunk.”

“Is your mom living with you?”

“She’s supposed to be staying in the guest house, but she seems to think she has free, unlimited access to the main house.”

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