Page 51 of Miss Matched

Luce: Who else would it be? Don’t worry, babe, I’ve got you.

Monica: You’re “fine”? You were just attacked!

That’s a strong word for it.

Me: It was just a shattered window, promise I’m all good.

Monica: This calls for a girls night. There’s no way you should be alone right now. I’ll bring the ice cream.

Luce: I’ll bring the vodka.

Me: Mon, you’ve got a deadline. Luce, you’ve got a case. Don’t worry about me, I’ve got this.

Luce: They can spare me one night. This is an emergency.

Monica: Same. Besides, my characters aren’t cooperating, so screw them.

I should have expected this. As much as I’ll never hear the end of it, I have to come clean before they head to my apartment.

Me: Rain check on the girls night? I’m kind of not home…

Luce: And by “not home” you mean?

Me: I’m at Zac’s.

Monica: Oh are you now? Let the record state that I called it from the beginning.

Luce: Proud of you babe ;)

Me: You called nothing and it’s not like that. He was at my office when this whole thing happened and he’s just making sure I’m good for the night.

Luce: I’m sure he is…

Monica: Mmm hmm

Me: I’m going now.

Luce: To get some dick.

I roll my eyes.

Me: To get some sleep.

Monica: Sure… Call us in the morning.

Me: Will do.

Putting my phone away, I look at the closed door and wonder how far down the hallway the master bedroom is. I’m suddenly very aware that no matter how big his penthouse is, Zac is achingly close to me from anywhere in it.

I could tell myself this doesn’t have to be weird and nothing’s changed, but I’m tired of lying to myself.

Ever since I ran him through my matchmaking software the other night, things shifted. Of all the faces I expected to see when the program completed its scan, mine was not one of them. I forgot I was even in in the database, seeing as my info had been entered for initial calibration only. I meant to delete my profile before going live and must have forgotten.

Scratch that—I’d definitely forgotten. Because there I was, staring back at myself. Kennedy James. Apparently a perfect match for the one and only Zac Vincent.

This is a problem. A big one.

I’m not cut out for relationships, let alone marriage. I can’t be the wife Zac needs, much less anyone else’s. My longest relationship was nine months, and he lived in another country, so we barely saw each other. Settling down with my “one and only” just isn’t for me. It requires trust. If you take someone’s heart, they expect one in return, and mine is already scarred and uninhabitable.

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