Page 82 of Something Like Fate

“Who was this other man?” I whisper, unsure I actually want to know. Nai Nai had always told me stories about them when I was young. Supposedly, Great-Aunt Chun and Great-Uncle Wen were married for seventy-five years, the longest of any couple in the family. They even died only two days apart, unable to bear life without each other.

“Bart. He was the neighbor. Totally cliché. They’d had an affair. Everyone in the family was horrified. Anyway, she was convinced she loved him more than Wen, her soulmate. And so she left Wen to be with Bart. Three years later, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. And guess what? Bart left her.”

“Left her? Really? That’s awful.”

“Yup. And guess who came back to take care of her? Wen.”

“Wow. That’s wild.” The thought of frail Chun and doting Wen made me sad.

“Yup. In her lucid moments, she was completely devoted to Wen after that. She felt awful that she’d made such a huge mistake, went against the vision. And so she corrected her mistake.”

“So technically, the vision did work out. Chun ended up with her soulmate regardless,” I say, unsure if this makes me feel hopeful or even more pathetic.

“Are things okay with Teller?” Mei asks, interrupting my reflection.

Her abruptness takes me aback, and I turn my gaze to avoid eye contact. “What do you mean? Why wouldn’t things be okay with us?”Teller and I had been pretty conversational in the car, at least enough to cover up any weird vibes.

She gives me a puzzled look. “I didn’t mean between you two. I meant how are things going with him since his breakup.”

“Ohhh.” I toss my head back, momentarily relieved. “He’s doing well. I think he still misses Sophie, though,” I add with a grumble, thinking about his text to her after we hooked up.

Mei dares me to make eye contact. Her gaze is penetrating, and I swear she’s reading my mind. A small smile curves her lips, like she’s just made a miraculous discovery.

“Something happened between you two—sexually,” she says matter-of-factly.

Shit. Nothing gets past Mei.

“No! Ew!” I practically yelp, scooting back in my chair. “We’re just friends, obviously.” But she keeps staring at me with that knowing look, and I break in record time. God, I’m weak. “It’s really annoying and unfair that you’re psychic, you know. Makes it hard to lie.”

“Sweetie, I don’t need to be psychic to know something happened between you two. I can tell by the way you look at each other.”

“Is it that obvious?”

“You could cut the tension with a teaspoon. But you’ve always had a bit of a crush on him, haven’t you? That’s why you were so freaked out about your vision?” she asks.

“What? A crush on Teller? No. Never. Absolutely not,” I say, almost as a reflex. I check over my shoulder to make sure he’s not standing right behind me or something.

“Be honest, Lo,” she says softly.

“No,” I say, without as much confidence as I’m used to. Through the years, people have asked me if there was something between Teller and me. I’ve always answered, “No,” without a beat. Without an ounce of hesitation. Until now. Still, I hold firm until Mei’s penetrating gaze breaks me.

Teller has always been off-limits to me, whether he’s with someone else or not, because he’s ... just Teller. He’s my Teller. He’s the guy who makes sure I drink my daily recommended intake of water and bans me from eating lactose so I don’t get constipated. The guy I tell about my ridiculous ideas, share all my wacky pet names with.

“There can’t be anything between us,” I say.

Mei leans forward. “Why not?”

Where do I even begin?“We’re total opposites. We’d never work in that way.”

I think about how cold and distant we’ve been the past few days. It doesn’t feel likeusin the slightest. Then again, we just slept together. It’s bound to take some time for things to normalize. When we’re back home, in our normal environment where we’re just us—the same us that met at The Cinema—surely this weird, pesky tension will disappear for good. Right?

“Besides, we aren’t supposed to be together,” I add, blinking away clips of the vision—of our fractured friendship. “He’s going back to Sophie the moment we get home, and I’m destined to be alone forever because I messed things up with Caleb.”

“Not true. Maybe it was just the universe’s way of telling you you’re not ready for Caleb yet.”

“Why wouldn’t I be ready? I was totally ready. He was the one who wasn’t ready for me.”

“That might be true. But you have to be honest with yourself, Lo. Remember, we can’t be fully ready for forever until we’ve fully closed the chapter on the past. You have to let go of what’s holding you back.”

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