30. Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Scarlett
Once Steven is out of sight, my smile collapses, and the nerves kick in full force. Steven has never just walked away and taken a phone call like that.
Even when he was dating Shelby Harris for that short time in high school, he would tell me it was her.
Chewing the inside of my lip, I lift a hand to my chest and rub at the tightness that’s taken up residence. I’ve ruined everything I was trying to keep status quo.
Sighing, a sinking feeling leaves me questioning everything I’m doing right now.
My life used to be simple. Our friendship was simple. My shoulders sag as the weight of it all presses down on me. Now it’s suddenly filled with drama. Fake dating. Fake kisses. And me admitting feelings that I’ve never allowed myself to acknowledge.
Rubbing at the pressure in my temple, I groan. Okay, so maybe none of it was really ever simple.
My gaze catches the clock to see there’s technically thirty left before closing time. Tugging my apron over my head, I march to the door and flip the sign. Time to make a managerial decision.
We’re officially closing early.
I pull up Miles’ contact. Just when I think I’m going to voicemail, he picks up.
“Scarlett! How’s everything going?”
“I changed my mind.” Pushing the display case open, I hold the phone against my shoulder and grab some of the empty trays, then stride to the backroom. “This whole plan was stupid. Why did I let you convince me that it would be a good idea?”
“Whoa, Scarlett. Take a breath.”
Clinking sounds echo throughout the kitchen as I drop the trays in the sink, before sliding to the floor, my back against the cabinets. I take a deep breath and slowly blow it out.
The pounding in my ears lessens.
“Feel better?” Miles asks. Running my hand through my hair, I nod. “Scarlett?”
“A little.” My voice is shaky. “But I’m still not sure I want to do this.”
“Why don’t you tell me exactly what you're talking about before I start drawing my own conclusions?”
Scrubbing my hand up and down my face, I murmur.
“Come on, Scar. Tell me what’s going on in that head of yours.”
Biting my cheek, I heave out a sigh. Guilt pushes down against my chest. “I feel bad.”
“About?” Miles' voice is calm. No hint of teasing.
“Pretending. Telling Steven that I’m someone other than me. This whole setup.”
“But not about all the fake kisses?”
“Geez, Miles.” His teasing has me rolling my eyes, while heat swallows me whole.
“I didn’t think so.” When he snorts, I want to reach through the phone and smack the smug look I’m sure he’s wearing off his face.
But his next words have me holding the phone closer to my ear.
“You have another option, you know…” A clicking noise, like a turn signal, sounds, then stops. “You can tell him how you feel.”
“But I already told him I found someone and gave him the email…” Pushing off the floor, I start pacing the room.
“So?”
My body stops. His response catches me off guard. “So?”
“Yeah, the play clock is ticking, and we have a game plan in place, but what happens when the defense shows up something that will ruin the design?”
“You can call a time out?” My brow knits together, loving and hating the football analogy.
“You can call a time out.” He reassures me. “Regroup, take a water break.”
“Enough with the football, please.”
Miles chuckles. “Sorry. It’s a hard habit to break.”
Dropping my head in my hand, I rub my forehead. “But then I have to tell him everything. And I’m not sure how to explain it all.”
“You’re going to have to do that either way, Scarlett. It’s just a matter of when.”
My throat tightens. He’s right. But I’m not ready for that yet. “Okay.”
“Okay what?”
“I’m going to stick to the plan.”
“You sure?”
My brows shoot up and my hand stills. “Do you not think I should?”
“Do you really want to know what I think?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe?” My chest tightens with every beat, adrenaline racing throughout my body.
“I think you should go to my brother’s house and tell him you're in love with him. That the reason you aren’t together is that you misunderstood a promise my dad asked you to make. That’s what I think.”
My mouth hangs open; no words form.
“But this is your life,” he says matter-of-factly.
“If you were going to tell me, why did you ask if I wanted to know?”
“I was being polite.”
A scoff slips from my lips, and Miles snorts.
Pressing my lips together, I try to gather my thoughts.
Miles makes it sound so simple. Just be honest. Tell the truth. Steven will understand. And yet, even thinking about it has my palms sweating.
“I can’t.” I shake my head, my hair whipping across my face.
“Okay. Then we’re back to the matchmaking plan.”
I nod decidedly. “Back to the plan. But I’m not sure how to proceed.”
“What do you mean?” Miles asks, surprised. “You do this all the time.”
“No. I don’t. At least not this part anyway.” As a matchmaker, I match people. And my clients decide how they want to proceed once matched. My job is normally done by the time they connect. “I’ve never matched myself before.”
“What do you normally tell your clients?”
Heading back up front, I condense the trays and stack the empty ones. “I tell them to introduce themselves.”
“So introduce yourself,” Miles says, like it's the easiest thing in the world.
“You don’t think I should wait for him to make the first move? Me reaching out first isn’t being too forward?”
Carrying the trays in the back, I place the ones with treats on the counter. The empty ones I start to place in the dishwasher.
“Scarlett, when have you ever been worried about being too forward?”
I know he’s rolling his eyes at me, because he’s not wrong. It’s not in my nature to beat around the bush. Unless…
“First off, it’s Steven, so he’s not a stranger. And second, he’s expecting to hear from you. You’re not an unwanted puck bunny showing up in his DM’s.”
An unwanted puck…
My grip tightens on the tray at the thought of women, multiple women, showing up in Steven’s messages. He’s never mentioned any to me, but I know it happens.
Why hasn’t he mentioned it?
“What if this doesn’t work?” My hand hovers over the buttons on the dishwasher, trembling. “What if he doesn’t like me?”
I hear a recognizable chuff, and my belly swirls thinking about everything Miles and I just talked about. “Is Wyatt with you? And am I on speaker?”
“Hey Scarlett,” Wyatt responds. “Yes, and yes.”
“You two are the worst! Wyatt—”
“I didn’t hear anything.” He chuckles, and heat creeps up my cheeks. “But it’s not like you’re saying anything about my younger brother I don’t already know. I’m impressed you’re making a move. I had thought maybe all the kissing would be the kick in the a—”
“Sorry, Scarlett,” Miles says, followed by what sounds like a smack. An ‘ow’ from Wyatt confirms it. “I should’ve mentioned Wyatt was with me.”
“My lips are sealed,” Wyatt interjects. “And I vote for you messaging him first, too. Be the bold woman we know you are. The one that our little brother can’t resist.”
Pushing a strand of hair behind my ear, I grumble, “How is this my life right now?”
“You could be stuck with us for the rest of your life if you play your cards right.” My cheeks pull up at that thought.
Miles and Wyatt have always treated me like a younger sister, and the truth is I love them like siblings too.
Hitting the light switch, I lock the door before me and run up the stairs to my apartment.
“If this doesn’t work, I’m going to hold the two of you responsible.”
Snorts fill the line.
“Does that mean that we’ll get all the credit when you're officially a couple?” Wyatt asks.
Once inside, I head toward my desk and power up my laptop. “Maybe I’ll pay you both back by helping to find your special someones. I won’t even make you fill out a questionnaire.”
“Um, no thanks. I’m good.” Miles huffs, just as Wyatt says. “Hard pass.”
“Glad we’re on the same page.” The corner of my mouth ticks up. “Talk to you later.”
The last thing I hear is them both yelling my name, which only makes my smile wider.
Sitting at my desk, I pull up my email account and just start typing before I can let the nagging voice in my head get any louder.
My finger hesitates for a moment over the ‘Enter’ button. Taking a deep breath, I press down.
“Here goes everything…”
From: [email protected]: [email protected]
Hi there!
I never thought that I’d be doing this, but here I am.
Emma said that we might be a good match, and from what I hear, she’s rarely wrong.
Fingers crossed.
A little bit about me: I was born and raised in Maple Ridge and couldn’t imagine ever living anywhere else.
What about you? Where did you grow up?
Sincerely, PinesAndPossibility