Page 137 of 10 Ways to Accidentally Fall in Love

Mama Delgado waves me off, but my cheeks still heat.

“Anyways, thatsomething unexpectedturned into a memory I know I’ll carry with me forever. Same with step four. Accomplish a goal. This is a good one. A simple one really, but impactful all the same. Joey and I ran a 5k together. It was…” I let loose a breath. “There was this guy, see? My new friend. Jogging beside me. Helping me finish my first charity run. I think it’s important in life to surround ourselves with people who support us. Those who encourage us and stay by our side. Joey was one of those people from the get-go. Even though… Even though he had feelings for me, he set them aside to be my friend. Incidentally, that was also when I started noticing Joey’s c—ahh. His abs. Which led to a whole lot of gutter-related fantasies that shaped the person I am today. But I’m getting a little bit ahead of myself. Okay, let’s see…”

I search my paper as the crowd laughs.

“Right. Step five. Be brave. This was a turning point. Joey and I had just gone on his date with Logan. Speaking of, where’s Logan and Lewis? Ah! Hey, dudes! Glad you could make it.”

The pair wave back at me, matching grins on their faces.

“So Joey and I went out with Logan. Well,Joeywent out with Logan. I was just there. Because I was sorta jealous. And we got back to Joey’s place—just me and Joey, not Logan—and I was trying to work out why it upset me so much to see my new friend on a date with another man. And it was this revelation, right? This lightbulb while we were hugging where I wanted to be…closer. I wanted more from Joey, and I hadn’t realized it until just then. So I did what any presumably straight man would do. I hid behind the garage, called for emotional reinforcements, and then I kissed a guy for the very first time in my life.”

Joey’s cousin Iggy lets out a wolf whistle, and I shoot him a two-finger salute.

“My buddy Cas called me brave on that call. And I wanted to be. So, yes. I went inside and asked Joey to kiss me. Andboydid he kiss me. That’s also the moment I met Greg.”

A throat clear has me hurrying along.

“Right. Uh… So that leads into step six. Wade fearlessly into the unknown. I’m just gonna give the CliffsNotes on this one. There was a tool belt. Rubbing wood. Sawdusteverywhere. A shower and then getting dirty again. Trust me when I say I learned quite a few new things that day. But the important part was not letting fear stop me. Joey made that easy. He made it safe to leap because I knew he was there to catch me. He’s always there, arms ready. It’s one of my favorite things about him, really.”

I find soft faces in the crowd when I lift my gaze, and I take another sip of water to shore myself up before going on.

“That brings me to step seven. Learn a new self-truth. It was obvious, really, but knowing something andacknowledgingit are two different things. That was the point I made peace with my bisexuality. Not that I had any issues with it in the first place. But I was frustrated with myself, in a way, for taking so long to figure it out. Cas would remind me people are constantly changing and sexuality can be fluid, too. Joey would tell me everyone is different and I shouldn’t compare myself to others. And Jason would probably just sayI told you so. Which yeah, dude, you did.”

Jason slides down in his chair, trying to hide. Cas gives him a consoling pat.

“But the point is I took what I knew to be true and acknowledged it. And I think that’s a big part of what let me move forward with Joey. Of course, that didn’t go as smoothly as I would’ve liked. Alex, you know what I’m talking about.”

The blonde man perks up. “The blood?” he calls.

“Yeah, man, the damn blood. See, I had this plan to woo Joey. To sweep him off his feet in grand gesture style.”

I wave the laminated paper in the air again.

“But papercut. Remember? So I passed out before I could ask Joey to be my forever and always kangaroo-boo. That’s where step eight comes in. Never give up on your dreams. I planned a final date. A completion of my wingman promise. Because, see, at the time, Joey and I weren’t officially dating. Let’s just say we were like a 401k sans cash but with all the benefits.”

“Get it!” someone in the crowd shouts. I huff a laugh, waiting for everyone’s chuckles to die down before continuing.

“The date I planned was a massive flop, though. I won’t go into the whole thing, but Joey thought I was setting him up with someone else. And that hurt him. Which wasn’t what I wanted in the least. It worked out in the end, once Joey blurted that he loved me, and I was all like,uh, dude, duh, I love you, too.And now we’re here, so win?”

This time, it’s Jason snorting.

“There are always going to be bumps in the road,” I say seriously. “But that doesn’t scare me. Not when it comes to Joey and me. And that’s because of step nine. Follow your heart. No matter what, no matter where life takes us, I’m not afraid of what the future has in store. Because through it all, I’ll have him. Over four years ago, Joey Delgado became a friend. He’s still that. Always will be. But he’s also the love of my life. He’s the person whose smile I wake up to each morning. He’s the one to greet me after a long day with a hug. He’s the one who can settle me with a simple press of his lips to mine. That’s love. That’s what love is capable of. It’s grounding. Reassuring. It’s comfort and safety and that bubbling in your chest that never quite goes away. It’s the reason we’re here today and what led to step ten.”

Letting out a slow breath, I turn in place, facing the table behind me. Joey is already watching me with tears in his eyes.My smile wobbles a little as I trace his features with my gaze. Those brown eyes I love so much. His hair, styled neatly today, and the crisp suit he’s wearing that makes him look impossibly handsome.

“Step ten,” I nearly whisper, the mic still picking up the sound. “Put a ring on it.”

I let out a snort.

“You all know this story. How Joey and I picked out rings at the same time, unbeknownst to each other. How we got the call that they were ready…again, at the same time. How we showed up at the jewelry store, a mere minute separating our arrival. And how, as soon as we realized what was happening, it was a mad dash to drop to our knees right there in front of the display cases.”

I chuckle hoarsely as the crowd laughs behind me.

“I asked Joey to be my husband that day. And he asked me to be his. It wasn’t the proposal either of us had planned, but that’s life. And now, here we are, husbands, celebrating our wedding with our family, friends, and coworkers. So you see?”

I lift up the laminated sheet for our guests again, even as I hold Joey’s gaze.

“This list is quite possibly the best thing I’ve accomplished in my entire life. Because, as it turns out, it was ten ways to accidentally fall in love. And every step led me to you.”

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