not happening. If he’s dating other women while you cinch your Chasity belt—that’s bullshit.”
“I don’t want to have sex with Arlo. Besides, his ex wants to get back together with him. They were fighting because of me yesterday.”
“You saw him yesterday, too?”
“Not intentionally. I used that free coffee coupon we got from yoga last week, and he was there.”
“That’s called fate.”
“That’s called he works next door to the coffee shop, also known as coincidence.”
“Kismet,” she counters.
“I feel like you missed the important parts of the conversation. I like Matt. Arlo has an ex who wants back in.”
“Arlo won’t do it. She blew him off when he got injured.”
“Do you know her?”
“Only sort of. I had a class with her last year.”
I hold my breath, waiting for her to tell me she’s an awful troll.
“They started dating last year?”
“No, they were never really dating. They weren’t even friends. She and I were kind of friends, but then she turned up her nose when she learned I’d had sex with more than two guys. Never mind the fact Arlo has slept with more than two girls—you have to love the hypocrisy.”
“It sounds like it was serious.”
Rose shakes her head. “No. No way. I didn’t even know about it until they were broken up. Arlo had to fill me in.”
“Then why’s she back now?”
Rose shakes her head. “Probably because he’s recovering. She wants the all-star boyfriend, and Lincoln is taken, and Paxton is taken, and she has an in with Arlo. I don’t see him going back to someone who dumped him when his world imploded.”
I glance at Rose, knowing full well she’s talking about her dad. She raises her chin and flashes a quick smile. “Forget boys. How was spending time with your dad yesterday?”
“He brought Colton and Ross, and he bought Whitney a bunch of gift cards.”
“Gift cards?”
“I know.”
“They’re so impersonal. I mean, yes, I like it when my dad gets me gift cards because I can buy whatever I want, but from a spouse, a gift should be sentimental.”
“I told him the same and picked up her favorite perfume and candles from that store she likes and some bath bombs and some new lipsticks and told him to sign his name to the gift bag and have the gift cards be from the boys.”
“You know he’s going to get the best damn blow—”
“Stop,” I say, dropping my head back as though my shoulders can block my ears. “Stop. Stop. Stop. I hate you.”
She cackles, the storm cloud that was her mood passing, allowing a glimpse of her humor to shine through.
“I hate you.”
“You love me.”
“I haven’t heard any details about how things went with Ian.”
She side-eyes me. “That’s because I have no details to share.”
“You’re holding back on me? You never hold back. What’s wrong?”
“We didn’t do anything?”
“What?”
She shakes her head. “No kissing. No heavy petting.”
“Your call or his?”
“His. Definitely his.”
“What did he say?”
“That he wanted to talk.” I laugh at how annoyed she sounds. “So we spent hours talking about school and the weather and football, and when I leaned in to kiss him, he moved and said he had to go because he had to wake up early for the gym.” She’s affronted. Shocked. Annoyed, and I’m fairly certain a little embarrassed.
“Maybe he didn’t know you were interested?”
She shakes her head. “I was pulling out all the moves. I was flirting so bad, the fly on the wall knew I was trying to get into his pants.”
My laughter bubbles out, making her frown deepen.
“Maybe he was trying to be a gentleman?”
“A what?”
My laughter grows. “A gentleman.”
“Pull over. You’re drunk. No twenty-one-year-old guy is a gentleman. Those two things are polar opposites.”
“I don’t know—stranger things have happened.”
“Like what?”
“Like my dad going ballistic in the middle of the mall because I was talking to the lady who cursed Arlo.”
“More context is necessary.”
“When Arlo and I had gone to meet with her, she acted like she recognized me. She knew my name.”
Rose pulls her chin back, blinking away her surprise. “What?”
I nod. “And she made this bizarre claim and told me something weird about my mother, almost hinting like my mom isn’t my mom.”
Rose pulls her shoulders and chin back into the corner of the seat. “What kind of crazy loon did you guys find?”
“The crazier part is, she mentioned a woman’s name, and it has been sitting in the back of my mind like a tickle in my throat that I just can’t shake.”