Page 75 of Off the Wall

“You mean about letting Jasper pick surf and turf to serve at the reception?” She blinks at me from her perch on the couch, feigning innocence. “You’re right. It’s totally pedestrian.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about, and you know it.” I blow out a breath, which ends up transitioning to a low groan. “How could you invite him to your wedding?”

“Why not invite him?” She shrugs. “I have extra plates of food already paid for, and my best friend secretly wants him there.”

I throw my hands up, exasperated. “What are you talking about?”

“Eleanor Sinclair, I love you so much, and you’re the best friend I’ve ever had, but you’re also being totally dense right now.”

“I am not.” I put on a pout. “I’m the least dense I’ve ever been.”

“Oh, really?” she squawks. “Then please explain all the heart-eyes you were tossing at Cash just now. I’m surprised you didn’t crash right into the wall coming down the hallway. You weren’t even paying attention to where you were walking.”

“That’s because I was afraid of what I’d see in the hall mirror!”

“Oh, stop.” She waves my comment away. “You look totally adorable in those sweats.”

“That’s not what I’m afraid of,” I murmur.

Hayden takes a beat. “Excuse me?”

“Nothing,” I say under my breath.

“Ummm … no way, my friend.” Her forehead creases. “I’m gonna need more of an explanation than that.”

I cross the room, sinking into the window seat. I might as well confess what’s been happening to me lately. Keeping the whole reflection thing a secret any longer will just make Hayden thinkIbelieve it’s real. Which I don’t.

Mostly.

So I wrap my arms around my middle and brace myself to tell her the truth. “For a while now—like multiple weeks—I’ve been seeing … strange things in the mirror.”

Hayden glances around the room. “Here?”

I nod slowly. “In my bathroom mirror and the big mirror in the lobby. Also in Cash’s dining room. Oh, and once out in the hallway. That’s why I was looking at Cash when you guys ran into me this morning. I was just avoiding the reflection, not obsessing over him.”

She tips her chin, her eyes narrowed. “What’s in the reflection?”

“Sometimes …” I swallow past the tension in my throat. “Sometimes … I see Cash in the mirror with me. When he’s not … actuallywithme, you know? But in the reflection, he’s holding my hand. Or I’ve felt him touching my hair. This morning, I heard his voice. I haven’t actually smelled him in the mirror. Or tasted him, but …” I don’t finish my sentence, because I’ve already mentioned too many senses.

I don’t sound stable.

“Whoa.” Hayden’s eyes go wide as saucers.

“I know it sounds weird …”

“Actually, I think it sounds awesome.”

I bark out a hysterical laugh. “Well, that’s too bad, because I’m sure my mind’s just playing tricks on me. I’ve been under a lot of extra pressure these days. You know, with the car repairs, and the loan, and the whole Spring Into Love promo.” I bunch up my shoulders. “Then there was last night.”

This is where I delve into all the details about my evening at Sir Axe-A-Lot, and afterward, how Cash had to save me and bring me to his apartment. Hayden chimes in at just the right times with responses ranging from laughter to horror. And by the time I finish the whole story, I’ve convinced myself the mirror thing was just a result of all the stress.

And the sleeplessness.

And the Snuze.

“Anyway,” I conclude, “I’m sure things will go back to normal. Soon.”

“They won’t.” Hayden shakes her head, like I haven’t just given her a perfectly rational explanation for my off-the-wall visions. “Because it’s the building.” She beams at me. “The Serendipitywantsyou and Cash to be together.”

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