Page 47 of Petals and Plot Twists
“You don’twantto tell me about it? If this guy is your soulmate, I figured you’d be eager to fill me in on all the details.”
Understanding finally dawns.
Of coursePeter thinks Jake is my soulmate. Because Iwentto dinner. And that was only supposed to happen if the flower bloomed.
“Peter, Jake’s not my soulmate,” I say quickly. “The flower didn’t bloom.”
He pauses, hand frozen over the pasta for a few seconds before he puts his fork down with slow, deliberate movements.
“Then why did you go to dinner?”
“Because Jake was nice, and he asked me to. When I saw that the flower wasn’t going to bloom, I told him I didn’t think we had any chemistry, but he asked if he could buy me dinner anyway.”
Peter blows out a breath. “Wow. Nice guy.” There’s a lightness to his tone that wasn’t there before, and I get the distinct impression that he’s relieved.
I let out a little laugh. “Honestly, he’s the nicest. Had I not flower-checked him, I definitely would have agreed to go out with him again. He’s basically perfect.”
“So why don’t you?” Peter asks. “What if the flower is wrong?”
I lift my shoulders. “It wasn’t wrong. We had good energy, but it was total friend energy. I meant what I said about not feeling much chemistry.”
Peter takes another huge bite of pasta, and I wait for him to finish chewing before asking, “Why were you relieved to know the flower didn’t bloom?”
“I wasn’t relieved.”
“Yes, you were, Peter. I know you too well.”
He breathes out a sigh. “Just because…” His words trail off, and his jaw clenches. “I guess because I know things will change once it does.”
“No, they won’t,” I say. “Of course they won’t.” But I just had this conversation with Jake, and he warned me of the same thing.
“I’m not saying we won’t still be friends,” Peter says. “But things will be different. They’ll have to be. You can’t sit on the couch and snuggle withme,then go home to your boyfriend and snuggle withhim.”
He’s right.
I know he’s right.
I just don’t know what to do about it.
“Do you want brownies?” I suddenly ask.
When in doubt, eat chocolate. One of life’s many mottos.
“Oh! And some caramel sauce!” I add. “I have vanilla ice cream in the freezer. We could have brownie sundaes while we watch a little moreTed Lasso?”
I already had crème brûlée at the restaurant, and I don’t need a second dessert. But I do need to feed my denial. And what better way to do that than brownies?
Chapter Sixteen
Peter
If I thoughtI was having a hard time falling asleep before, the night after Sophie’s date with Jake is something else entirely.
After confessing nearly a decade of feelings for Sophie to Willa and Archer—and drinking Archer’s very expensive bourbon—I came back to Sophie’s to sulk on my own, sure that her Jake the pediatrician with the wavy hair and perfect smile was her soulmate.
I’m relieved now that I know it’s not true, but I can’t keep doing this to myself over and over.
I was completely useless tonight. I had work I needed to do, but I just sat around. Sat and thought and felt sorry for myself because the woman I love is actively trying to love someone else—anyoneelse. And I’m supposed to be her trusty sidekick in making it happen.
