Page 37 of Love Unexpected
I had to tell them. I wouldn’t be able to extricate myself from this situation without their help. Not now that it includedRandom I.
“What if it isn’t what I want?”
Greta’s eyebrows went up. “Are we still talking about going to Kansas?”
I shook my head. “What ifIsaacisn’t what I want?”
“Oh, geez.” Jade pressed a hand to her forehead. “You cannot even be serious right now.”
“That’s not fair,” I said, holding my ground. “I’ve never even been on a real date with the man. I like him, yes. But his life is a little overwhelming.Thisis a little overwhelming. It’s a lot to sign up for based on nothing but a month of direct messaging.”
“But itisbased on more than direct messaging, isn’t it?” Greta asked. “You’ve been watching Isaac’s show for a long time, Rosie.”
“But this is different,” I insisted. “A personal relationship is different. His life, his fame...it’s big.”
“And you didn’t know that when youstartedmessaging him?” Jade asked, frustration infusing her words. “That’d be like me looking at Diedre six months into our relationship and saying, I’m sorry, I knew you had a child, but I just assumed he wouldn’t be a part of things once we started dating.”
I rolled my eyes. “That’s not a fair comparison. Besides, I never thought dating Isaac would actually be a possibility. I sent that message on impulse, but I don’t think I actually expected him to respond. I’m...” I hesitated and looked down at myself, my arms held out as if for inspection. “I’m a nobody.”
“Oh, honey,” Greta said, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and shooting Jade a look that could only be interpreted to meanchill the hell out.“You aren’t a nobody.”
I pushed the heels of my hands into my eyes, not even caring what it would do to my eye makeup. “What do I do now?”
My friends were both silent for a long moment.
“I think I have an idea,” Jade finally said. “But I’m not sure you’re going to like it.”
I scoffed. “At this point, the only thing I could possibly like is rewinding my life six weeks so that none of this ever happened.”
“Don’t be saying that,” Jade said. “Come on.” She held out her hand and tugged me gently forward when I slipped my fingers into hers. “We need to tell Alex what’s going on.”
My feet turned to lead inside my shoes, immediately halting our progress. “What? Why Alex? What does he have to do with this?”
Jade didn’t answer, but she was too formidable a woman for me to argue with her once she’d set her mind to something. She tugged me again, unsticking my feet and dragging me up to the third floor, where we found Alex sitting at his desk. Luckily, Isaac was nowhere to be seen.
“We have an issue,” Jade said to Alex, quietly enough that hopefully, no one else heard.
Alex looked from Jade to me, and then to Greta, who had followed us up. “Okay,” he said hesitantly. He stood and opened the door to Isaac’s office, motioning for us all to precede him into the room.
Even with the door firmly closed behind us, I could still feel the stares of everyone else in the warehouse. They had to be wondering why we’d stormed into the office and demanded an audience.
“What’s up?” Alex asked, his arms folded across his chest.
“It’s me,” I blurted out before anyone else had the chance to speak. I’d suddenly grown weary at the idea of Jade or Greta speaking for me.
Alex looked at me warily. “Who is you?”
“I’m Ana,” I explained. Sweat broke out across my upper lip. “Which is, actually, my real name. Ana Rose Crenshaw. And I am from Kansas. I didn’t lie about that part either.” I lifted my shirt away from my body and shook it a few times, willing my body temperature to cool. Anxious sweating was possibly the worst part of having social anxiety. Nothing made memoreanxious than worrying about whether or not everyone could tell that I was anxious. There were all kinds of strategies I’d learned to cope. Dark clothing. Layers. Industrial-strength antiperspirant. My life was such a party.
Understanding dawned on Alex’s face. “You’re the one who’s been messaging Isaac all this time? I thought you lived in Kansas.”
I bit my lip and nodded. “I did. My parents still do. And that’s the location still listed on my old Instagram profile. When Isaac made the assumption it was still true, I didn’t correct him. I know I should have told him, but I’m not... I’m not good at this. At talking. At...dating.”
Alex started to laugh. “This...this is amazing,” he finally said. “It’s perfect. You’re perfect.”
I froze. That...was not the reaction I’d been expecting.
Alex shook his head, his smile wide and his hands on his hips. “Do you know how worried his family has been about this? About him spending so much time talking to some faceless woman on the internet? Dani will sleep so much better knowing you aren’t a psychopath trying to take advantage of her brother.”
