Page 69 of Finally Loved

Alba smiled again. “I’m happy for you.”

“You shouldn’t be.”

She laughed. “You want me to be angry that my best friend likes someone, and that same someone asked them out on a date?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know.” Zainab groaned again. “Because this is going to be a disaster.”

“Hey, you thought my whole thing with Neve was going to be a disaster and that’s going just fine.”

She snorted. “I don’t think we can definitively say that just yet. Something’s going on between you, neither of you is addressing it, and we’re all just sitting around waiting to see what happens.”

“Sounds so dirty when you say it like that.”

“It’s a statement of fact.”

“Yeah, well, so is you liking… Hey, are you finally going to tell me their name now that you’re going on a date?”

“I suppose I have to.”

“You don’t. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”

“Yeah, but it’d be weird not to.”

“A little, but when am I not weird?”

Zainab hummed. “Fair point. Still. Their name is Kai.”

“Nice name. I look forward to meeting them.”

“Ugh. The two of you are going to be insufferable together.”

“Ah, confirmation that, in fact, you are annoyed that they’re like me. You’ve fallen for someone just like me.”

“I haven’t fallen for anyone. And they’re not just like you.”

Alba scoffed. “Tell me which of the ways you described them wouldn't also apply to me.”

Zainab floundered for a moment. “Icannotbe interested in someone like you. It’s like… dating your cousin.”

“It definitely isn’t.”

“You know what I mean.”

“Not really.”

“You’re my best friend. And a complete pain in the ass.”

Alba laughed. “I think all this tells you is that you like someone who’s a little bit of a pain in the ass. Either as a friend or as a romantic interest, what gets you is someone who can, well, give you a little bit of a run for your money.”

“I think I hate myself. This is ridiculous.”

“You do not. You’re just having a moment. But, soon, you can be having a moment with Kai. On a date. And I bet it’s going to go great. I mean, they’re clearly already into you.”

“I hate all of this.”

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