Who We Could Be - Chelsea M. Cameron Page 0,4

good guy. My parents adored him, and he was everything they’d ever want in a son-in-law. He’d asked my dad’s permission before proposing, which I guess I was supposed to think was romantic, but I just thought was annoying and patriarchal.

Whatever, that didn’t matter. I was marrying him because that was the plan. It was my plan, it was his plan, and it was my parent’s plan. I loved him, I did.

Tears itched at the corners of my eyes. I needed to think about something else. I pulled out my phone and texted Tessa. Something told me she would be up.

You awake?

She responded immediately and I felt myself smiling. Everything okay?

Yeah, I said. Just can’t sleep.

I flinched as she sent me a request for a video chat. I answered as fast as I could, my fingers slipping on the screen and almost dropping my phone.

“Hey,” I said. She was in her room and it was dark, her face lit by the flickering of the TV that was on mute.

“Hey,” her voice was soft. “You want to talk about anything? Or talk about nothing?” If there was one thing Tessa O’Connor was good at, it was talking.

“Nothing, please.”

That made her grin.

“Got it. Did you know that the inventor of Cornflakes made them to stop people from masturbating?”

I blinked at her for a few seconds.

“I did not,” I replied.

“He was religious and thought that getting yourself off led to all kinds of bad things, and that certain foods would inspire you, or whatever, so he made Cornflakes and threw a hissy fit about not adding any sugar because sugar makes you horny, or something.”

“He sounds like he was fun at parties,” I said, trying to imagine him pitching the idea.

“Oh, definitely. Apparently, he never had sex with his wife either,” she said.

“I’m not sure if I should feel good or bad for her.” That made her laugh.

“Same. Need something else?”

I burrowed further into the couch.

“Yes, please.”

I listened as Tessa told me about other breakfast cereal origins. I had no idea how she remembered all of that, but Tessa’s brain was an entire library’s worth of information. I never knew what she was going to pull out, and I was never bored with her. It was impossible to be bored around Tessa.

“You know, there are podcasts for this,” she said, and I snapped my eyes open. I’d started to drift off.

“True, but none of them are narrated by you,” I said.

She yawned.

“That’s true. I do have a good voice.” She did. Tessa yawned again. It was time to let her sleep. We both had to work tomorrow, her at a used bookstore, me at the library next door. Incredible that we’d somehow end up working right next to each other all these years later when we were paired up as Line Buddies in the first grade.

“Goodnight, Ford,” she said in a drowsy voice. She’d been calling me that forever, and I’d given up on trying to get her to stop. I was just used to it now. Sometimes I even liked it.

“Goodnight, Cin,” I said. It was only fair that I gave her a nickname that annoyed her right back.

Figuring that sleeping on the couch was probably bad for my back, I rolled to my feet and fumbled my way to my bedroom. For the millionth time, I wished I had a cat or some sort of animal, but TJ was allergic, so pets weren’t an option for me. Having someone to cuddle would have made me feel a little less alone.

Part of me considered calling Tessa back, but that would be ridiculous. I could get through a night without her. I’d gotten through many nights without her.

Soon I wouldn’t be alone. Soon I would be with TJ, for the rest of our lives. Just the two of us.

I NEEDED SO MUCH COFFEE the next day to make it through. I was just thinking I needed another cup to take me through the afternoon as I reshelved some books and kept my eye on some teens on the computers at the same time.

“Hey Ford,” a voice said behind me, too loudly.

Instantly I turned around and shushed a smirking Tessa, who crossed her arms and leaned on the bookshelves.

“You’ve really got your shush down, I’m so proud.” Her hair was all over the place from being outside on this windy day. Her undercut was growing out again, which meant she was probably here to pout and beg me to shave it for her. She