Page 71 of The Jerk in Apartment 1B

“You were right.” I take another tissue. “All that stuff you said about Asher was right. He doesn’t really want to be with me. He just said he did so he could keep me around.”

“I didn’t want to be right. I was hoping I was wrong. I know you didn’t want it to turn out this way.”

“I feel like I wasted the last four years. If I’d been with someone else, I could be married by now. But instead, I have to start all over.” I dab my eyes with the tissue. “What if it’s too late? What if I’m too old? What if I never find someone and end up single and alone?”

“Okay, first of all, it’s never too late. And being single isn’t a bad thing. It doesn’t mean you’re alone. You have friends. You have your family.”

“But I want to get married. I want kids.”

“And that can still happen. You’re only 25. You have plenty of time to meet someone.”

“Meet someone, yes, but get married? That takes years. First, I have to find someone I’d actually consider marrying, then date him for a year or two, and then be engaged for a year. By the time I get married, I could be in my mid-thirties, and by then, it might be too late to have kids.” I take a breath, feeling overwhelmed and panicked as I play this out in my head.

“Or,” Scott calmly says. “You could meet someone this year, get married the following year, and make a kid on your honeymoon. That means you’re what… married at 27 and a mom at 28?”

“I don’t see that happening, especially since I’m taking a year off from dating.”

“You might want to rethink that if you’re in a hurry to get married.”

“But I don’t want to be in a hurry. I want to find the right guy, and that takes time. Asher was supposed to be the right guy, but he wasn’t, and now I’m panicking about starting over.” I ball up my tissue and add it to the pile on the table. “I don’t even know how to date. It’s been so long, I’m out of practice.”

“Not much has changed in four years.”

“Yeah, but everyone meets on those dating apps. I’ve never used them. I don’t even know which ones are good and which aren’t.”

“They’re all pretty bad. I avoid them.”

“Then how do you meet people?”

“You go out. Go to parties. Concerts. Events. How’d you meet your ex?”

“Through a friend. She went to his college. She took me to a party and Asher was there. His friends were flirting with me, but Asher was the one who asked me out. I thought he was kind of nerdy, but later I realized he was just really serious and smart.” I sink back on the couch, hugging my knees to my chest. “It was so much easier back then. In college, you could go to a party and have your pick of guys. Now, everyone’s busy with their careers, or they’re already in a relationship, or they’re like you and just want to sleep around.”

“Hey, don’t be putting down my life choices just because they’re not yours.”

“I’m not putting it down. I’m just saying, I have to eliminate guys like you from consideration, which makes my pool of available guys even smaller.”

“There are plenty of single guys who want to get married. You just need to get out there and meet them.”

“Did you ever want that?”

“Wantwhat?”

“To get married. Or have you always known it wasn’t for you?”

“I wanted it.” He clears his throat. “When I was younger. Then I realized I’m better off alone.”

“Why? What changed your mind?”

“I got older and realized I like being single.” He folds his arms over his chest. “I like being free to do what I want. Not having to ask permission before I make a decision.”

“So you don’t like to compromise. That’s why you’re single.”

“Let’s not talk about me. We’re here to talk about you. Are you feeling any better? Even a little?”

“Yes, but I’m still panicking about having to date again. I feel like I don’t know how. But I guess I have a year or two to figure it out.”

“You’re really going to wait that long?”

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