Page 19 of Match Made in the Maldives

“It’s so humiliating,” she says, pulling me away from my thoughts. “I couldn’t keep him interested. I don’t want my family to see this failed relationship with a person they probably expected me to marry at some point, considering we dated for so long.”

“Hey,” I say, stern enough to get her to look right at me. “You didn’t fail at anything.”

“I’m twenty-nine. At this age, Cass had married Carmen, and they’d gotten investors for their nonprofit. Aaron had finished his residency and proposed to Mel.”

“So? You’ve ditched a scumbag guy who wasn’t worth your time, and you have your own business.”

“Which isn’t a tremendous success at the moment, either.”

The start of any company involves some struggles—I would know—but I wanted to let her vent too.

“They’re a couple of perfect older siblings,” she goes on. “Healthy relationships, incredible careers. Then there’s me. It’s impossible to live up to them.”

“Being perfect’s impossible.”

“Not for them. Or for you.”

“I’m not, trust me.” As I sit up, a rueful laugh escapes my lips. “No clue what my next work move will be. I’ve tried for weeks to come up with something that excites me, but I might have run out of good ideas. I’m wondering if this job in San Jose is what I should do. I want to put my skills to use. Help people like I did with the last one, you know? But nothing’s struck me yet. And there’s the love life. Single, going on two years.”

“Dana must have really messed you up, huh?”

“No, that’s the crazy thing. I liked Dana a lot, but we both knew we weren’t right together.”

To distract myself from the fact that Lou was attached to a douchebag and I would always have to watch, I started seeing Dana, a woman I’d met through a friend of a friend. I’d done casual dating and relationships that lasted a few weeks or months, but I decided that my late twenties meant having a more serious relationship. Dana and I were both pleasant, safe distractions for each other, and we dated for way too long, even though neither of us was what the other wanted. After we broke up, I vowed not to get involved with someone I didn’t burn for, and I haven’t been with anyone long-term since.

“She and I,” I go on, “we weren’t a good fit. And there’s all the stuff with my brother.”

“What about him?”

“He…Blake’s reached out again.”

“What?” Lou sits up so fast she spills some champagne from her glass. “You’re kidding.”

Almost a year ago, with support from my therapist and all the Moores, I went no contact with Blake. As a kid, I didn’t understand that the things he did were abuse. All brothers acted like that, I thought, and I got used to him pushing me around and calling me “Fuck-up Finley.” But when I was twelve and Blake was fourteen, he broke my arm in the basement because I wouldn’t hand over the remote, and he threatened me if I told our mom.

After that, I spent as much time at the Moores’ as possible.

“He reached out once before, right?” Lou asks, searching my face.

“Guess him contacting me will be a biannual event.”

“You okay?”

“Yeah, he only wants to put me in my place.”

“What’d he say?”

Pulling out my phone, I bring up some texts from the unknown number and hand my device to her.Weren’t even gonna tell your big bro the news about your fancy app deal, dipshit?And most recently,Luxury vacation with your other family, must be fuckin nice. Can’t wait to let Mom know.

“The announcement about the deal piqued his interest, I bet, and like a true narcissist, he couldn’t resist.”

“But the trip?”

I shrug. “Mel shared it on social media. She posted that pic from the plane, and my brother had nothing better to do.”

“Shit. I’ll ask her to take it down.”

“She’s allowed to live her life. If Blake hadn’t found me that way, he’d have found me some other way instead.”

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