Page 37 of The Odds of Happily Ever After
“Sorry,” she said again before I could find an appropriate response.
I ran my palm over the back of my neck. “Why are you apologizing?”
“I shouldn’t have dumped that on you.”
“I don’t mind.”
Her shock rang through the line, echoing my own. Although I hated talks that involved emotions, I realized I honestly didn’t mind this one.
“I asked how you were,” I said. “You told me the truth, and I appreciate that.”
“Oh. Well, you’re welcome.” Her voice sounded hesitant, as though she questioned the sincerity of my words.
“This adulting thing you mentioned—it’s not something you can perfect. At least, not from my experience. There’s no equation to get it right.” I couldn’t count how many times I’d wished for it. Life would have been easier if it followed the cut-and-dried rules of math.
She sighed. “It’s so annoying. But I guess having one fixed solution would take away the wonder of it all.”
Of course Luna would find a way to romanticize adulthood. “This coming from the person who wanted to master this period of life.”
“I mean, I want to be good at it, but I don’t want it to be formulaic. That would be boring.”
“It would be predictable,” I corrected.
“Like I said, boring.” Luna laughed, and it sent a tingle down my neck. “We can agree to disagree.”
I grunted.
“Wait, aren’t you supposed to be partying?” she asked.
Damn it. Max. He was probably wondering if I’d ditched him. “It’s just drinks with a colleague.” No need to tell her said colleague was one of her professors, much less that I was the reason she’d been in his class instead of mine.
“Look at you living it up,” Luna teased. “Anyway, I won’t keep you any longer. Thanks for checking in on me, Gabe.”
I wanted to say something more—and that was my cue to end the call. “Let me know if you need anything,” I told her.
“You don’t mean that literally, right? Cause you might end up regretting it.”
“We’ll see.”
Her laughter came soft this time. “Thanks, Gabe. Have a good night.”
“You too.”
After the line cut off, I stood there for a few seconds more. A strange lightness filled my chest even as tension strained myneck. It was a contradiction, and Ihatedcontradictions. They made no sense. Logic dictated I should feel nothing more than a sense of accomplishment over fulfilling my duty to Tala. Why, then, did I wish I could have talked longer with Luna?
“There you are.” Max stepped out of the doorway and approached me. “I thought you bailed and stuck me with your food. What happened?”
I pocketed my phone. “Sorry, my call ran longer than expected. Let’s go back in.”
Later, when Max excused himself to go to the restroom, I checked my phone and found four messages from him and two from Luna. I opened hers right away.
Luna
I can’t believe I got so busy talking about myself that I forgot to ask about you!! I suck.
Anyway—Okay?
A reluctant smile tugged at my lips.
