Page 50 of Love and Other Chances

“Can I take you on an official date this Saturday?” Brooks asks, and I nod a yes. “I’ll think of nothing else till then.”

“Your poor students,” I tease.

“They’ll be fine. They can read the textbook. It’s riveting,” he teases back. “Now go inside before you freeze and get sick again.”

“That wasn’t the end of the world, you know. I had a pretty good caretaker,” I tell him with a smirk of my own, reaching up to tap my finger against the cleft in his chin.

He groans. “You arenothelping the self-restraint, Sneaks. Get outta here!” He shoos me toward the house, picking up the ice scraper to finish the job.

Once inside, I close the front door and lean against it. The ice clinging to my hair starts melting instantly. I need a hot shower and dry clothes stat, but I take a moment to close my eyes and smile in the silence.

All traces of fear are replaced by the joy that wells up in my heart and spills out from my eyes.

This is the only chance I ever want.

Chapter twenty

BROOKS

I’ll pick you up at 6:30. Casual attire recommended

564 minutes left of thinking about it

I stare at the messages, grinning ear to ear. Normally, I'd sleep late on a Saturday morning with nothing planned. But the anticipation of our date tonight has me awake far earlier than usual.

I can count on one hand the number of people who know that I’m going on a date with Brooks tonight: Mom, Amaya, Lana, Gina, and Joy. Usually I’m much more of an “announce everything to the world” type of person. In fact, I gave Lana so much grief about her reluctance to tell anyone about Mateo for their first few dates.

But I’m trying to wrangle my heart into submission when all it wants to do is get way, way ahead of itself. So I’m keeping things on the quiet side until I know with a little more certainty that this could really pan out.

Would itactuallyhurt less if things end poorly and I’ve told fewer people?

No.

But I wouldn’t have to fake it around as many people.

So my lips are mostly sealed. Even if that means the buzzing energy is exploding my insides.

I spend the day doing grown-up tasks like grocery shopping and cleaning so that my mind has something else to focus on. At 4:30, I take a long shower and begin the process of getting ready. Standing inmy robe in my closet, I consider my wardrobe choices.Casual attire. So, not a dress, I suppose. I eventually settle on a pair of light wide-leg jeans and a pink long sleeve top.

In the middle of applying makeup, a video call from Amaya rings on my phone. I answer the call and prop the phone against the mirror right as Lana joins.

“Hey, Beefs!” I say.

“How are you feeling about tonight?” Lana immediately asks.

“I’m feeling good!” I answer.

Amaya questions me next. “You feel good for real, or you’re just saying that to hide that you’re nervous?”

“Ummm, can it be both?” I reply after a pause.

“I guess so,” Amaya responds. “I suppose Lana was that way at first with Mateo.”

Lana nods. “True. But this is a slightly different situation. We want to make sure that your heart feels safe going into a date with Brooks.”

I pause, staring at my mascara wand.Does my heart feel safe? Is it possible to feel entirely safe when Brooks broke my heart once before? That doesn’t feel safe at all. But Current Brooksdoesfeel safer. Should I back out of this before it’s too late if I’m not completely safe?

“I can see the wheels turning, Teeg,” Amaya says. “Care to share what’s buzzing around the thought mill?”

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