Chapter 17
Eva
After setting down my bowl of salad, I pulled out a chair to take a seat as my family grabbed the last-minute items for dinner. We all looked at each other and smiled.
I wasn’t in a smiling mood, but I put on a face and played along, pretending everything was okay. Except it wasn’t.
My phone on the dinner table was buzzing. I flipped it over and looked at the screen. It read “Sam.” I did not want to deal with this. Turning the phone over, I ignored the call.
My mom, sitting next to me, reached for my hand. I gave her a shrug. I could sense no one wanted to speak. My dad’s and grandma’s knowing glances revealed they knew something was wrong, something to do with our legacy.
“Well, if no one’s gonna say it, I guess I will,” I said, interrupting the silence. “What happens now? My days are up, and there’s nothing to do about it.” I twirled my plate of spaghetti noodles.
My dad cleared his throat. “If you haven’t found your soul mate, and they haven’t expressed their feelings to you, it all unravels. A lot of the matches we’ve assisted with might not make it. If it was their destiny, and they didn’t need a push, then they’re going to get there on their own. They could still be together.”
“So we’re gonna have a ton of breakups in the next few weeks just because I failed? Great,” I said.
I no longer felt hungry; a sickening feeling crept into my stomach at the thought of witnessing the townspeople in love splitting up. Music started playing in the background, and I looked up at my grandma, who just winked. I didn’t know why she was acting so strange.
“You hear that music?” my mom asked, looking at me.
“Yeah, I hear it. I’m not deaf,” I retorted, sipping on my water to help ease the queasiness.
My dad let out a laugh and shook his head. “Well, I don’t think it’s going anywhere, so you should go check it out.”
I stared at him. I didn’t get what the big deal was. It was just music from outside. I had more pressing matters.
“Honey, go outside,” Grandma Alice insisted.
I got up from the table and walked to the main room. I peeked through the sheer white curtains and saw him. There Sam was, holding a speaker playing the music.
I opened the door and walked out toward Sam. The daylight was diminishing, and there was a slight glow to him. He was holding a small stuffed Cupid. Was it a romantic gesture or a cruel joke?
“What are you doing here?”
“Just hear me out,” he said. “I made a mistake, and I’m sorry I got so angry. I just—I assumed you manipulated me into falling in love with you. I realized those feelings were mine. They’re genuine. You’ve made me the happiest I’ve been in a long time. I couldn’t wait to see you at our next session. And when I had to leave, I wanted to stay. You’re just—you’re everything.”
I could feel my heart beating fast, and the overwhelming emotion I felt for him was intense. I turned my head to the side so he wouldn’t see me crying. He was my person, and I didn’t want it to end.
Sam stepped closer until we were inches apart and turned my face toward him. He wiped my tears from my cheeks, and his fingers glistened from the touch.