Page 5 of Dare Me

“Oh, no…”

“So did Nana and Grandpa. And Uncle Ronan. I’m telling you; it’s been brutal. I appreciate you stepping in and giving them a new focus, but they haven’t forgotten about me. I’m going out with Gram’s hairdresser’s nephew tomorrow.” She groaned.

“And you couldn’t get out of it?”

“Nope. I said I had planned on working at the pub that night since Saturdays are so busy, and Dad said not to worry, that he’d get someone else to cover the shift.”

“Damn.”

“I know.” Now it was Ryleigh’s turn to sigh. “Is it wrong that I just want them to back off a bit? I mean…I’d like to meet a great guy too! Most of my friends are married already and here I am getting old and running out of prospects!”

“Ry, you’re only twenty-six. That’s not old.”

“Tell that to Mom and Dad. If you listen to them, I’m practically ancient and on the verge of becoming an old maid.”

“Oh, stop. They did not say that!” she said with a laugh.

“Wait…keep passing up these nice guys and they’ll start labeling you just like they’re labeling me.”

“Doubtful. I’m only twenty-three. I’ve got a few good years in me yet.”

“That’s what I thought too and yet…here I am.” She paused for a moment. “Other than the friend in the band thing, what was wrong with this guy?”

“I don’t know…”

“He wasn’t Will,” Ryleigh stated, because…well…she was the only person Arianna had confided in.

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to. Look, I’m not trying to be mean, but…it’s been a year. It’s time to move on. You have to accept the fact that he just used you.”

“But he didn’t!” she countered. “How did he use me? We didn’t have sex! We walked around San Francisco and ate dim sum and went on a sunset cruise! Where was the using?”

“Okay, okay…calm down. Don’t get all pissy.”

“It’s not fair, Ry. How could the universe find me this perfect guy like that and then he just disappears?”

“Something could have happened to him, Ari. Have you thought about that?”

“Why would you even say that?” she cried.

“Um…”

Tears stung her eyes. “I’ve tried not to think like that, but…oh, God! What if it did?” Honestly, she had thought that exact thing far too many times and would immediately tell herself not to think like that.

“This isn’t helping anything,” Ryleigh reasoned. “The important thing here is that you stop thinking about this guy because he didn’t care enough about you to keep in touch. Let’s just say that he was a major jerk and move on.”

They’d had this conversation at least a dozen times in the last year and, as much as it pained her, Arianna knew this needed to be the last time. Swallowing hard, she nodded. “You’re right. It’s been a year and…and I just need to pretend like that day never happened.”

“I’m so sorry…”

“Don’t be. I’m the idiot who fell in love on a single date. I mean…knowing me, I’m probably over-romanticizing the entire thing.”

“Yes! Yes, that’s it! You made it seem like so much more in your head when, in reality, he wasn’t all that.”

Nodding, she forced herself to agree. “Okay, no more talking about this or any other dating topics. Let’s talk about Liam. Has anyone gotten a definitive date out of him yet for when he’ll be home?”

“All I know is it’s next week sometime,” Ryleigh told her. “Have you thought about where you’re going to go? Have you even looked at apartments for yourself?”

---