Page 61 of Something Like Fate

The next hour and a half is a whirlwind. We run from one restaurant to another, literally. The second restaurant is completely booked, the third is closed; then we finally get seated at the fourth, only to realize that it’s extremely out of budget.

I’m not sure why we’ve decided it’s some sort of race. We’re not on any time crunch or schedule. Perhaps that’s why it’s so fun. It’s like we’re on a pizza treasure hunt. It’s also the perfect distraction from Caleb.

“Guess it was a bad idea to try going out for dinner on a Saturday without reservations,” Teller says after another failure at the fifth restaurant. The sun has now drifted low in the sky. We’re leaning against a brick building, ready to give up, when I spot a deli across the street with a sun-faded photo of a meatball sub in the window.

It’s certainly not fine dining. The inside has cracked tile and scuffed walls, though the cheese, cured meats, and breads behind the displaylook fresh. The shelves are lined with local olive oil, balsamic vinegar, some dried pastas, and Tuscan condiments. Teller points to the chalkboard above the counter listing the day’s specials, including flatbread pizza, which he promptly orders.

We sit on the curb and devour our flatbread. The crust is light, fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth, with generous dollops of pesto and fresh mozzarella (for Teller). They even have a lactose-free cheese option for me.

“This is actually the best pizza I’ve ever had in my entire life,” I say, sinking my teeth into a juicy sun-kissed tomato.

“Same. This sauce is incredible. And the crust is the perfect balance of crispy and soft.”

“And it wasn’t even on your list,” I tease through a bite.

“I’m not sure why. The ambience is pretty top notch,” he says, watching a restaurant worker haul a huge garbage bag into a dumpster.

“I’m still sorry I had a life crisis and made you miss the cruise. It probably would have been really romantic. You could have done the Titanic pose with Riley.”

He draws his brows tight. “You wouldn’t catch me near the railing like that.”

“I should have known.”

He’s quiet for a minute as he watches the traffic go by. “Also, I’m not actually sure there’s anything between Riley and me.”

“Are you just saying that because she stole food off your plate like Nicola Rumford?” Nicola Rumford was the first girl Teller ever told me about, pre-Sophie. He was interested in her ... until she made a habit of vulture-ing his food before he was done with it.

“No, though that was a serious concern.”

“Okay, so if it’s not her eating off your plate, why don’t you think there’s potential? You guys seemed pretty cozy on our double date the other day. She kept touching your shoulder.”

He shrugs, thumbing his ear. “I dunno. She and Jenny are going their separate ways tomorrow, and it feels like the right time to end things. I’m not ready for any sort of commitment, anyways.”

“You still miss Sophie, huh?”

A heavy pause. “I’ve been thinking about it lately, and I don’t know if I miss her or being in a relationship more.” This throws me for a loop. “I miss having someone to have inside jokes with. To look at when someone says something dumb, weird things like that. And Sophie and I weren’t really doing that toward the end. We were just fighting all the time.”

“Really? But you guys seemed so in sync.”

“We were ... but things started to fall apart when we moved in together. Being long distance made things exciting. And then when we were around each other all day, every day, going to the same classes, extracurriculars, and parties—it was different.”

“Maybe you just had to get used to living together.”

“It was more than that. She was right, I think. We stopped enjoying each other’s company. It was like we ran out of things to talk about. And I don’t mean silence every now and then, because you know I don’t mind silence. It was all the time, days on end, where we didn’t have any meaningful conversation apart from what we were having for dinner.”

“Why did you stay with her all year, then?” I soften my expression for fear I’m coming across judgy.

“I wanted it to work. I got used to the security ofhavingsomeone.”

“I get that.”

“You haven’t dated anyone seriously this year, have you? Aside from dick-pic guy?”

I tilt my head, feeling a little pathetic. “Not really. I’ve always felt weird about getting into relationships. I guess I’ve been holding out for The One, and I knew I hadn’t met him yet. It felt like wasting my time, and theirs. And it would be dishonest of me to not tell them they aren’t my soulmate, knowing it isn’t going anywhere long term.”

That’s why this potential delay with Caleb feels so pointless. Sure, I could date around like I always have. But putting a face to my soulmate makes the family gift all the more real. How can I focus on someoneelse with Caleb in the back of my mind? It’s like my life is in limbo until he comes around.

“I agree with you on that one. That would be a hard pill to swallow,” he says. A beat goes by where I think he’s going to say something else but instead tosses his pizza container in the trash.

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