4. Blyss Monroe
Blyss Monroe
I was so damn foolish. Standing in the middle of my room, I chucked my crochet needle across the bed like it had betrayed me.
Why would I keep putting myself in his presence, letting him treat me like I didn’t matter?
I knew why because I cared too much. But when it came to Kase, logic didn’t stand a chance.
There I was, surrounded by skeins of yarn, a half-finished blanket, and a stupid ball of purple wool rolled halfway under the dresser like it was even tryna escape this mess.
And still, all I could think about was him.
Kase. So damn fine, with those deep dimples and that cocky, sideways smile that could melt glaciers.
Every time he flashed it, my heart did somersaults, and my knees?
Useless. Like I was starring in some corny romance instead of real life, where I’d go over there just to be ignored or talked to like I didn’t matter, and then sit in my car afterward questioning my whole freakin’ existence.
I hated how much I wanted him. And I hated even more that he knew it.
Deep down, I felt like he was feelin’ me too, though.
Maybe not all the way, but enough to mess with my head.
And maybe, just maybe, if I got him drunk, I could get the truth out of him.
He did say a drunk man speaks a sober mind.
Lord, I sounded like a fool. While I was stuck in my own head, a loud knock hit my door, and before I could even react, Tuesday popped in with a sympathetic face and her hands on her hips.
“We’re going out,” she announced.
“Where?”
“Ne’ Cole. You need to get out this house, get a drink, before you lose what’s left of your mind.”
I tried to wave her off with an “I’m fine,” but Tuesday wasn’t about to take no for an answer.
“Whatever. Get dressed,” she said, already turning to leave like it was settled.
Honestly, it was because I didn’t even put up a fight.
I found an outfit, tossed on some gloss, and we left soon after, heading to Ne’ Cole Lounge, which was actually really nice.
It was crowded, but the energy was good, and we managed to grab two seats at the bar.
The bartender, a gorgeous woman with thick locs and a nose ring, came over to take our order.
Tuesday got a drink that matched her whole vibe, bright, strong, and loud, while I played it safe and asked for a ginger beer with lime, no alcohol.
The bartender smiled like she respected it, and I appreciated that.
Because even if I wasn’t drinking, I needed somethin’ in my hand to keep me from unraveling.
“Girl, why do you embarrass yourself by trying to get a dog’s attention?”Tuesday said after taking a sip of her drink.
My cousin hated when I acted like that in front of Kase, especially since she knew about my little crush.
She’d already warned me that he was a player and didn’t respect women.
And from what I’d seen unfold with my own two eyes, she wasn’t lying; Kase was definitely a heartbreaker.
The sad part? I’d rather he break my heart than ignore it.
At least then I’d have something. It was crazy, I know, but I couldn’t just turn my feelings off.
And besides, Tuesday had a man who loved her calculator and brain, I had a one-sided fantasy and a front-row seat to my own emotional downfall.
“I know, Tuesday… but I can’t help it.”
“Well, you need to. Kase isn’t worth the mental energy. He’s a walking red flag with dimples. You deserve more than chasing after someone who can’t even say your name right.”
“It’d be easier if someone liked me.”
“George from work likes you. And he’s sweet. You just refuse to give him a shot.”
“He’s just… not my type.”
“And Kase is?” Tuesday raised a brow. “Come on, Blyss. Be for real. You’re out here pining over a man who treats you like background noise.”
“We can’t all get a boyfriend as sweet and handsome as yours,” I muttered, fiddling with the hem of my cardigan.
Tuesday scoffed. “Girl, please. I got the brother who’s into science and facts. You like the one who sleeps with different women and parties.”
I gave her a side-eye, but she wasn’t done. “If you keep chasing the devil just because he’s got dimples and a deep voice, you’re gonna keep getting your feelings bruised. Like… bruised-bruised.”
“I know,” I sighed.
“Listen, cousin, you know I love you, right? So, I’m gonna keep it real. Do yourself a favor and find someone who sees how dope you are. Someone who appreciates how beautiful you are as a person, not just a body, not just a convenience. A person .”
“Thank you,” I whispered.
“No biggie,” Tuesday said, picking up her phone and unlocking it with a lazy swipe. “You sure you’re okay though?”
“Yeah. I’m fine.”
She paused, then grinned at her screen. “Okay, well, Jace just texted me to get ready. Apparently, we’re going to that little bed and breakfast this weekend.”
“Ooh, what are y’all celebrating?”
She giggled. “The first time we binge-watched Stranger Things and accidentally kissed during a Demogorgon attack. So now we celebrate every year like it’s a damn anniversary.”
I laughed. “That’s so nerdy.”
“I know. That’s why it’s perfect.”
I understood what Tuesday was saying, I really did.
But it was easier for her to talk sense when she had a man who wasn’t just fine, but happened to share the same face, the same dimples, and the same damn DNA as the one I was secretly out here aching for.
So yeah... telling me to move on hit different when she got to wake up next to the version of him who actually gave a damn.
Before we left, Tuesday ran to the restroom, leaving me alone at the bar.
I kept my head down, tracing the rim of my empty glass when suddenly, the woman with the locs from earlier slid me another ginger beer, on the house. I smiled and she spoke.
“I overheard your conversation,” the woman with the locs said, leaning in. “And I know someone who can solve your problem.”
She slid a card across the table.
It might’ve been stupid, but I drove straight there as soon as I dropped Tuesday off.
My heart was racing the whole ride as I pulled up to the address.
Old Man Nelson had a small shop tucked in the alley behind the blue store out in the Shores.
You wouldn’t find it unless you were lookin’ or lost. Folks around the way just called him the old man in the alley , like he didn’t have a real name.
His door creaked when it opened, and the bell above it sounded more like a warning than a welcome.
When I stepped into the shop, Old Man Nelson was already sitting behind the counter like he’d been expecting me. Everyone in Golden Shores knew him; some whispered, some warned, but all agreed he wasn’t just some dusty shopkeeper.
I walked up and cleared my throat. “Mr. Nelson… I was given your card, and I need your help. I want this guy to tell me how he really feels.”
He didn’t say anything, just gave me a look that felt like it could read through skin.
“For how long?” he asked finally.
“Four days,” I blurted. “I just need to know if he really likes me or if he’s ashamed because I’m…
different. I think he sees me as just a geek, and he doesn’t want to admit he’s attracted to me because it might mess up his image.
He owns nightclubs. He has this whole ‘cool guy’ thing going on, and Lord, I’m rambling. I just… need something.”
He nodded slowly. “I’m gonna give you two things. One’s a pill and it will last three days. It’ll make him truthful; if he already is, it might make him even more blunt.”
He turned and reached beneath the counter.
“But I’m also giving you this,” he added, placing a small bottle on the counter. “A potion. Sometimes, the only way someone learns to respect you… is to live as you. This will last four days.”
The bottle had a faded label and glowed faintly under the low light. Mirror Me. He held it up, and I watched the liquid inside swirl into a deep, shifting purple.
“This one’s special,” Nelson said, his voice low and gritty. “Let him see life through your eyes. But be careful. Some mirrors don’t like what they show back.”
I figured I wouldn’t even have to use the potion, not if the pill worked like Old Man Nelson said.
Kase was already slick with the mouth, so if that truth serum kicked in? I’d get my answers loud and clear.
I paid Old Man with cash for eight hundred dollars before leaving.
Since I knew Kase had a sweet tooth, I made a quick stop at his favorite bakery and picked up a box of those double- fudge cookies he swore were better than sex, and considering how much he loved sleeping with women, that made things complicated.
It was a peace offering, a trap, and a test all in one.
He wouldn’t think twice about it, since I’d brought treats around before.
But what he didn’t know was that I’d crushed the pill and mixed it right into the powdered sugar dusted on top of the brownie.
One bite, and it was game on. That truth was about to hit harder than the chocolate.
Knowing Kase, he was probably in his office barking orders, talking slick, and acting like the club would fall apart without him. His assistant, Porcha, short, red pixie cut, and an attitude like she woke up choosing violence, glanced up as I walked in.
“He’s busy,” she said flatly.
“Tell him it’s Blyss.”
She gave me a look that screamed he ain’t gonna like this, but she went anyway. A few seconds later, I heard that deep voice from the back.
“Let her in.”
I exhaled and stepped into the lion’s den.
Kase was at his desk, sleeves rolled up, head bent over event flyers and notes. Even when he looked tired, he was still fine. It was irritating.
“Blyss?” he said, glancing up. “You lose your library card or somethin’?”