Page 18 of Actually Yours

“Please, Bella. I just want to put the whole sorry thing behind me.”

She breathes out and relaxes her posture, no longer ready to charge into battle. “Yes, let’s put him right behind us. In fact, let’s not think of him ever again.”

I nod, sparing a quick glance in Jake’s direction, my gaze darting back to my friend when I see he’s still watching me.

“And you know the best way to get over someone…”

“I’m over him!” I interrupt, not liking where this is heading.

“Is to get under someone else,” she continues like I hadn’t spoken.

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.” I shake my head and stomp my foot under the table.

“Yes.” She bangs her fist and spears me with a no-nonsense look. “It’s time.”

“I don’t want to. You know how I feel about relationships.” I look nervously in Jake’s direction, really wishing he wasn’t herelistening to every miserable word I’m saying. “I’m terrible at the whole thing.”

Bella is quiet for a moment, like she’s mulling over my words before a smile grows on her face. A smile, which, quite frankly, is terrifying.

“Then let us help you.”

“No.”

She pats my hand like I’m being an unruly child and soldiers on, not listening to a word I’m saying. That word being ‘no’. Said repeatedly.

“You’ve just gone for the wrong guys.”

“You can say that again.”

My head swivels to look at Jake.Did he just say what I think he said?

“Excuse me,” I ahem at him. “We’re having a private conversation.”

He flashes a grin that he thinks is disarming, but is actually…OK, it’s very disarming. “Sorry, but it’s true. You dated my brother. Who’s an understudy for a drummer in a not-very-good band. I mean, that’s not a great endorsement of the men you choose to date.”

The tips of my ears heat and I’m glad I wore my hair down over my shoulders to hide the evidence of my shame. It’s true, I somehow end up picking the guy most girls would run from.I wonder what my therapist would say about this? If I actually went to therapy, that is.

“And before Robby was that guy, Jeremy. What did he do for a living?”

I roll my lips between my teeth and refuse to answer. This is getting humiliating.

“He was a mime!” Lilly yells through her laughter from her spot behind the counter.

Bella does her Marcel Marceau impression and I let out a chuckle.Oh boy, Jeremy.Not only was he a professional mime artist, if that even is a profession, but he wasn’t even a good one.What a dud.

“And who came before him?”

I let the silence drag out, refusing to partake in this trip down my nightmare dating memory lane.

“Alan! That’s it. He was a….” She trails off, her brow scrunched up in concentration.

“A dog-walker.” I give in and tell her, knowing that she won’t let it go. “There’s nothing wrong with being a dog walker.”

“There is when he combined it with being thirty years old and still living in his parent’s basement.”

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