Page 65 of Someone Just Like You

Jude:Baby Bo’s. 7?

Dinner at our favorite neighborhood Mexican café? Yes, please. I responded without hesitation.

Molly:Sopapilla!

I waited for the inevitable gag and puke emojis. Jude lacked a sweet tooth and didn’t share my appreciation for fried flour tortillas covered with cinnamon and honey. I probably wouldn’t order dessert after dinner, but I lived to rile Jude up. I was starting to live for Judeperiod—joking with him, texting him, eating with him, watching TV with him, kissing him,fuckinghim—he was the time of my life. I was fully vested in this relationship like never before.

But we were like a house of cards: one blow from caving in. If I continued to hold on to my secret, I feared it would infect me from the inside out like poison. On the flip side, if I came clean, I could lose everything. Either way, I was screwed.

After dinner that night, Jude and I stepped off the elevator of his building and, like clockwork, rambunctious barking sounded from inside apartment 7C.

“How does he know?”

Jude’s face screamedDuh. “Shrewd Jude has a shrewd dog.”

I snorted. Jude Stark had become no less cocky since we’d started dating.

The door hadn’t even closed behind us before Yogi lost his mind. Jude kneeled on the floor, and the puppy placed his paws on his shoulders and licked his face all over. “Hiya, big guy,” Jude said between licks and hugs. “I know. I missed you too.” He laughed as Yogi practically jumped over his head. “I know, buddy. I know.”

I observed from the side, moved by this display of emotion between man and his best friend.

Yogi tired out and Jude stood. “You need to go out, buddy?”

“I just took him.” Alex wiped his glasses with the bottom of his green-and-red argyle sweater.

“Isn’t it early for an ugly Christmas sweater party?” Jude asked his roommate.

Alex swiped his middle finger from the bridge of his glasses down his nose while I exclaimed, “Rude!”

Jude raised his palms. “Kidding.”

Five minutes later, Jude, his two roommates, and I sat around the guys’ brown leather sectional couch watchingGleeon Netflix. Jude insisted Alex and Jerryforcedhim to watch the old show, but he was full of shit. He couldn’t stop himself from singing along and drumming his fingers to the music. It wouldn’t surprise me if the guys broke into dance.Dorks.

“What’s Esther up to tonight?” Jerry yawned, his eyes on Quinn and Puck singing “Just Give Me a Reason” on the flat-screen.

I pretended I bought his yawn, even though it was obviously fake to throw me off the scent of his massive crush on my best friend. “I’m not entirely sure. Should we invite her over?”

Jerry shot up. “Oh, I don’t know. The apartment’s a mess and…” He darted his eyes around the room and scratched his arms.

Jude laughed. “Dude, are you breaking out in hives over a girl coming over?”

“I just remembered. She’s on a da…dinner. A working dinner.” She was on a date with a guy she met on Tinder, but there was no reason to break the guys’ hearts.

Jerry sat back down. “Too bad. Maybe another time,” he said, clearly relieved.

“What kind of dinner?” Alex asked.

“Does she eat meat?” Jerry tapped his chin. “I don’t think she had any ribs at Hillstone.”

Jude squeezed my knee. “See what you started?”

“She had at least one rib. She’s a carnivore.” Alex lifted his chin at me. “Right, Molly?”

“Look!” Jude pointed out the window. “A solar eclipse!”

When the guys turned around, Jude dragged me off the sofa and we raced to his room and closed the door, laughing. Then he pushed me gently against the wall and pressed his lips to my forehead, nose, chin, and finally mouth.

The kiss was so soft, it rendered me weightless, like my feet had lifted off the ground and I was floating.

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