Page 57 of Actually Yours

And like a lightbulb going off in my head, I see that this is why I’ve been doggedly picking the wrong men for so long. Because it’s been ingrained in me that all relationships are doomed to fail because all men are doomed to fail us. The blinding clarity of this as the underlying cause of all my relationship angst leaves me breathless.

“Anyway,” My mum is wrapping up while my mind spins with revelations. “Make sure you come and see me soon.”

“Sure thing, Mum. I’ll come by next week.”

She makes kissing sounds and hangs up and I stare at the screen, at the half-typed message to Bella. My hands shake as I delete my excuses, now determined to not shut myself away from having a night out with friends. I need tonotbecome my mother, tonotbecome a person who lets their past define them.

“Callie, I’m off to get ready for the ball.” And like Cinderella before me, I’m hoping this may be the night that I meet my Prince Charming. Conveniently forgetting that I’ve already met him, and he comes with the most delightful, black-rimmed glasses.

*****

“You look sensational.”

Bella’s gushing praise warms my insides.

Once I’d decided to embrace my night out at the ball, I’d taken a great deal of care getting ready. My hair (now mostly blonde) had been curled into loose waves and then swept up into an elegant-looking braided bun, making sure the purple ends were tucked away to keep the look classy. My silver dress has a deep v in the front and a high slit, the fabric clingy to my body, making the most of my slight curves and my feet are adorned with the most stunning pair of shoes I own. The strap across my toes is clear, so it looks like I’m barefooted, and the heelsare covered in sparkly diamantes. In this outfit, I’m the most glamorous version of myself.

“Thanks, Bella. You look beautiful, as always.”

My friend grins and spins around to show me the low back of her champagne-coloured gown. With her Mediterranean olive skin tone and her dark hair swept to one side, she looks like a goddess. A fact that isn’t lost on her husband, who has been glued to her side the entire time we’ve been here.

“I was sure you were going to cancel coming tonight,” she says, taking a sip of her pink champagne. “In fact, I checked my phone every five minutes, expecting a message from you with some lame excuse for why you wouldn’t be here.”

My cheeks heat at her very accurate read of my character, knowing that I’d been a few seconds away from doing exactly that. “My mum called.”

Her mouth twists down into a frown. Bella knows better than anyone the difficult relationship I have with my mother. “And?”

I huff out a sigh. “And I decided I don’t want to be like her.” I continue on when I see her puzzled expression. “She’s so angry, you know? So bitter, so determined to never trust a man again. I don’t want to end up like that.”

“Oh honey, you won’t.” Bella runs her hand down my arm while Daniel nods along. “You haven’t shut yourself away from relationships. In fact, you’re the opposite. You give everyone a chance.”

“Yes, usually the wrong ‘everyone’. And that’s the problem. I’ve been choosing men that would inevitably fail me. And I need to stop.”

“You won’t hear an argument from me,” she chuckles. “You’ve chosen some real stinkers in the past.”

“And it’s time to break the pattern!”

Her face lights up like a Christmas tree. “Does that mean…?”

I put my hand up to stop her, dimming her light. “No more dating plan.”

“Hmmph.” She lets out a disgruntled sound that has Daniel tucking her under his chin and kissing her on the nose.

Ugh. They’re so darn cute.

“How about just one more?” Daniel asks, shocking us all. Since when did he let himself get dragged into our shenanigans?

“What are you talking about?” Bella asks her husband, looking up at him with curiosity.

“My mate Joe is here tonight and I know he’d love to meet Amelia.”

“Joe?” Bella squeals at the top of her lungs, causing heads to turn to see who was making such a racket. “Joe?” she repeats in a softer voice.

“Hang on,” I butt in. “I don’t want another set-up.”

“But Joe is perfect! I can’t believe I didn’t think of him before.” Bella’s words are racing together, making her sound like a chattering monkey in her excitement.

“It’s because you were doing the whole ABC thing,” Daniel reminds her in a dry voice. “And he’s a firefighter.”

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