Page 11 of Broken Dreams
Is it so wrong to wish for it? I want someone to share daily details with again.
I force my feelings back into the box they escaped from. “Right. He needed to do Friday because he has some world building video game tournament on Saturday he’s been training for.”
“Cancel on him,” he says without any hesitation.
“I can’t.” Phil is a nice guy and he’s also typically shy and reserved. For him to come up to me after that meeting took a lot of guts. If I were to cancel or stand him up, I would never forgive myself.
“You know my stance on this.”
Yes, Spencer gives zero fucks, and he would never force himself to do it. I grew up in a tiny town on the Oregon coast where I was surrounded by the four best guys any girl could dream of.
However, Isaac didn’t come alone. I also got his three best friends, Spencer, Emmett, and Holden. They were the four points to my compass, and I was the center.
Now we’re all on different courses and some days, I feel a little lost.
I smile softly at Spencer, my earlier thoughts escaping again. “I know. I just want to have what you all have, you know? I miss having my person, the one I could talk to about anything.”
He looks over at Brielle and then back to me. “I get it.”
“So, I need to get back out there.”
“Well,” Brie cuts in. “I have your online profile up. Devney has the password too and between us, we’ll pre-screen and it’ll be great.”
“No! I never agreed to that!” I protest.
I am not letting them arrange my dates.
“It’s all set. Devney will babysit on the days you have a date and...we’ll find you the perfect guy.”
I groan and flop back on the bed. “I can’t with you.”
“Look, go on this date Friday and then we’ll hopefully have some good candidates lined up. This can be like...a practice run.”
Not a chance in hell. Brielle will never give me the password, but I’ll get it from Devney and stop this train before it goes off the tracks.
* * *
The next two days I do everything possible not to think about this date. I work, clean my house, rearrange Elodie’s room for optimal space, and even get my receipts in order for tax time—in eight months.
However, today, I can’t avoid it.
I’m going on a date tonight and I still don’t have the heart to call him and cancel.
There’s a knock at my door and when I open it, Devney is there.
“Your babysitter has arrived,” she says, holding up a bottle of wine.
“Is that for me?”
Her laugh is loud. “Not a chance. You need all your faculties for tonight.”
“I’ll probably be home before you can crack it open.”
I step back and she enters. I can’t begin to explain how much I adore her. We sort of became instant friends when we were kids. She came out to visit her cousin, Emmett, in Rose Canyon, and since I was the only girl cool enough to hang out with them, I got to know her. We were pen pals and when I went through losing Isaac, she had me come stay with her.
It was the best decision I ever made.
Sugarloaf was a fresh start. One that doesn’t have the ghosts of the past hovering over me.
