Page 30 of Fall I Want
“You sound tortured,” she says, then tells her friends she’ll be back. I imagine her on the beach, having a cocktail on a Wednesday afternoon.
“If you offended someone you don’t really know and wanted to apologize, what would you do?”
She chuckles. “Who’d you offend?”
“An out-of-towner. He asked me to be his friend and I laughed. It was very rude.”
“He?”
She hangs up, and before I can react, I get a FaceTime call. I answer and my sister is grinning. It’s easier for her to read my body language when she can see me.
“Tell me more about him.”
I explain all the details from the moment he entered the shop to him refusing my coffee to wanting to befriend me.
“He sounds like he’s fighting demons. Maybe he wanted to offend you to push you away but realized that’s impossible because you’re actually a good person?”
“Doubt that.”
“Why?”
“Because how would he know that? We’ve spoken to one another twice.”
“Your demeanor gives you away. He mentioned he felt a connection with you. Did you feel the same way?”
“Yes.” I sigh, knowing I can’t lie to her, not when she’s staring at me, analyzing me.
“Why are you afraid of becoming his friend?” Her brows are lifted.
I shake my head. “He asked me what I was afraid of too.”
“Well?”
“Seems like a waste of time, doesn’t it?”
“Sounds like your fear of abandonment is taking hold again. Alex is not your ex. You barely know this man.”
I clear my throat. “I left one thing out. He looks exactly like Mr. Dreamy.”
Now her mouth falls open as she studies me. “Now that’s a plot twist I wasn’t expecting.”
“Yeah,” I whisper. “In the flesh.”
“Sister to sister, I’m not telling you to be a yes man, but what’s the worst that could happen? What if heisthe man of your dreams?”
I groan.
“Or you could make a new friend and keep in touch with things like...” She gasps. “The Internet.”
“You better not treat your clients like this.” I huff.
“Oh, I absolutely will be truthful. I want to understand your fears of befriending people, especially men. I think this would be good for you. Take it day by day with no expectations. Who knows? Maybe he’ll be the one, just like Mr. Dreamy.”
What sucks is that she’s right.
“I know what I have to do,” I say.
“Perfect. Keep me updated?”
