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“I don’thavetwo, EJ,” she replied to her brother. “I’m dating two women, yes, but I’m going to end it with one of them.”

“How do you do that?” EJ asked.

“Son, don’t even think about it,” their father said.

“ButEnidcan date two women?”

“Enid is mature and knows how to treat a woman.Youare still learning. I know this because I heard you talking on the phone the other day to that girl you like.”

“Dad!” EJ glared at their father.

Enid laughed and asked, “What did he do?”

“Nothing. It’s nothing,” EJ said quickly.

Their parents laughed, and Enid joined in. Then, her phone buzzed, so she pulled it out.

Caroline Timothy: I had a great time tonight.

Enid smiled.

“Which one is that?” EJ asked.

“Shut up.” She laughed at him and shoved his shoulder playfully while she stole the popcorn bowl from his lap at the same time.

“Oh, here it is,” their mom said, pointing at the TV.

“Hey, you guys!” EJ yelled much louder than was necessary.

Enid laughed again, like she always would for as long as they did this.

CHAPTER 14

Caroline bit her lower lip while she stared down at her phone, hoping to get a reply soon.

“Are you just staring at that thing now?” Viv asked from her bed.

“Yes,” she replied honestly.

“Give the girl a minute to respond.”

“It’s been a minute. It’s been seven minutes, according to my phone. Do you think she had a bad time, so she’s not responding because she’s done already? One date, and she’s choosing Jill over me?”

“I think you’re looking at this the wrong way.”

“HowshouldI be looking at it, then?”

“It’s not a competition.”

“Isn’t it, though? This Jill woman isalreadyolder than me. She’s twenty-six. I asked Enid about her not-so-casually over dinner. I couldn’t even order a beer at dinner tonight and asked her to go to the stupid on-campus theater because it’s cheaper.”

“You’ll be twenty-one soon, so that won’t matter much longer. And if she decides not to date you because you can’t order a drink at dinner,she’s the one with the problem.” Viv sighed. “Anyway, don’t look at it like it’s you versus someone else. It’s just you and Enid trying to see if there’s something there.”

“Thereissomething there. I feel it. And she does, too. I know it. I just feel like Jill is ahead of me somehow. They were kind of friends first, and Enid askedherout. She didn’t askmeout. I askedher. Tonight, we almost kissed, and I know we would have, but the stupid movie thing ended abruptly, and I realized that I wanted to kiss her at least a little because I wanted to catch up to Jill.”

“Just focus on the fact that there’s something between you two. Enid will have to figure out what she wants, but if you don’t like that she’s dating someone else at the same time, you need to tell her.”

“I don’t like it. Ididtell her.”

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