chapter sixteen Are Those Feelings? #3
to her place after getting drinks? I bet Lynn has a nice place, too—an apartment with big windows that doesn’t smell like
musty old house and dog breath, and an aesthetic that doesn’t scream “thrift shopping.” If they go home together, will they
get physical? Is Lex the type of person to do that after just one date, if they consider this a date? Why is this bothering me so much?
I clear my throat and refocus my attention on Olsen. Olsen, who I’ve been hoping would give me a second chance. Olsen, who’s
trying to spend time with me alone. Olsen, who can break my curse so I can live happily ever after.
“In that case, a ride home would be great. Thank you.” I smile.
Olsen and I walk toward his car, and the whole time I’m looking over at Lex, hoping she notices me, waves goodbye, something. But she doesn’t.
And when Olsen and I are pulling out of the parking lot and they’re disappearing behind me in the rear-view mirror, I can’t
help but notice Lynn lean in for a kiss.
“Aubrey?” Olsen’s voice is tentative, concerned.
“Hmm? Oh!” My face flushes hot. Was he talking to me that whole time? “Sorry, I was . . . distracted. Did you say something?”
“I was just asking for your address.” I relay it to him, and he sets up his mapping software on the screen in front of us.
“That was fun,” he says casually.
“Yeah, it was. I’d say I’m well on my way to going pro.”
“A couple more private lessons and I’m sure you’ll have a trophy on your shelf.”
I grin. “Remind me to tell you my bowling trophy story one day.”
He glances at me as he turns. “I don’t get to hear it now?”
“I’d say that story is fifth-date material.” As soon as I say it I cringe, and the atmosphere in his car tenses. “Sorry, I
mean, not like this is a date, or to assume we ever would, especially after the zipper fiasco, which your friends all knew
about, which I’m sure is super awkward, and—”
“Aubrey, relax. It’s fine. I can assure you, everything is still in perfect working order.”
“I guess some prayers do get answered,” I say, then gasp when I hear the words that just came out of my mouth. “Not that I
prayed for your penis! I mean, if I were the praying type I might, but that’s not what I meant.”
Olsen laughs, his eyes crinkling in the corners. “You’re hilarious.”
I manage to laugh it off, but to avoid further conversation and risk the curse any more than I already have, I turn up the radio.
The rest of the drive passes without incident.
Olsen parks outside my house, turning in his seat to face me.
My face warms and my heart quickens as I realize that this is it—the moment that could determine the rest of my future.
I open my mouth to speak, but Olsen talks first. “Listen. I had a lot of fun today. And I know we got off to a weird start,
but I was wondering if you wanted to go out sometime. Just the two of us.”
Just the two of us, with no Lex to save me when shit hits the fan. I’ll have to pack my own wet wipes and spare pants and . . .
And this is what I wanted. This is what needs to happen.
I swallow my fears and nod. “I’d like that. But,” I say, remembering what Lex said about giving him time to fall for me so
he won’t care when the curse pops up, “I think we should take it a bit more slowly this time. We really rushed into things
when we first met, and I’d like to get to know you better.”
Olsen’s head tilts ever so slightly, his handsome smile gracing his features as he nods. “I like that idea.” Then, he takes
my hand in his and raises it to his lips where he brushes a kiss across my knuckles. A slight tingle emanates from his point
of contact, but I can’t stop thinking about someone else getting a kiss today, and if they’re kissing more now.
“Call me,” I say, pulling my hand from Olsen’s grasp and exiting onto the sidewalk.
After picking Winston up from Pat, changing into my comfy clothes, prepping a cup of Chai tea, and settling onto my couch
with a comfort rom-com, I finally have time to go over all the details of the group date.
Something keeps sticking in the back of my mind, like a splinter—tiny and silly and something that shouldn’t cause me as much
discomfort as it does, but is distracting to the point where I can’t take my mind off it.
Lex and Lynn. Together. More than friends. Lex spending time with someone other than me . . . another woman being more important to Lex than I am.
Long-buried emotions from high school rise to the surface—losing the one true friend that had been important to me and ending
up all alone, like I had been my entire childhood.
It can’t happen with Lex.
But how can I go from seeing her multiple times a week, texting her all day, calling her late at night, to having someone
else be her person? I suppose by finding a person of my own. By breaking the curse. By getting my own happily ever after.
Lex deserves to be happy. She deserves to have a person she can turn to, to share her life with, to cuddle at night, and to
do . . . other things with. I should be happy for her. I am. Or, at least, I will be, once I get a hold of myself and my traitorous,
jealous heart.