Page 12 of Captured Love

The idea is sounding better the more I think about it. I sit up straighter, the mattress springs complaining beneath me. “I mean, sometimes the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else,” I say.

“The point is, you shouldn't let Knox have this much power over you. You deserve to be happy, Selene.”

Happy. What a loaded word. I think about the last time I was truly happy and come up frustratingly blank. Life has been a series of manageable but persistent grinds—school, work, family—and most recently, the unexpected emotional rollercoaster with Knox. But I’d be lying to myself if I said the conversations we had with each other didn’t make me happy.

At least, at the time they did. Now I kind of regretted them. But maybe Isla is right. Maybe I’ve been putting too much stock in one person, letting him dictate how I feel when I shouldn’t.

“I don't even know where to start,” I admit. “It's not like there's a queue of eligible bachelors worth a damn lining up for their turn.”

Isla smirks and gives me a playful shove. “Please, you're gorgeous and you know it. We can start compiling a list.”

I roll my eyes, but there is excitement brewing inside of me. A list. It sounds ridiculous yet kind of fun. Like we’re in high school again, writing down our crushes during physics class.

“Fine, let’s hear it,” I say, crossing my arms but leaning in closer. “Who’s number one?”

Isla taps her chin thoughtfully. “Well, there’s Ryan from the soccer team. He’s had a thing for you since freshman year.”

“Ryan is cute, but he’s also like a little puppy. I don’t think I could break his heart and still sleep at night.”

“Noted,” Isla says, pretending to jot something down in an invisible notebook. “What about Derek from lab?”

“Derek?” I scrunch my nose. “He’s got a girlfriend. Next.”

Isla laughs. “You’re so picky! Okay, let me think… Ah! What about Lucas? He’s tall, smart, and single.”

“Lucas the math tutor? He tried to mansplain calculus to me. Hard pass.”

We go back and forth like this for a while, Isla suggesting names and me shooting them down with increasingly absurd excuses. Despite my refusal to take any of her suggestions seriously, I’m actually having fun. It feels good to be thinking about something other than Knox and the mess I’ve made of my life.

“And there's always dating apps,” Isla says, throwing her hands up in a gesture of surrender. “Swipe right, swipe left. It's like online shopping for boys.”

I make a face. “You know how I feel about dating apps. They're filled with creeps.”

“Come on, it's the twenty-first century! How else are you going to meet new people? You don't have to marry the guy. Just have some fun.”

I open my mouth to protest, but before I can say anything, the door swings open and Tessa walks in.

She’s wearing one of those oversized flannel shirts and leggings. Her hair is in a messy bun on the top of her head, and she’s carrying a stack of books so high I wonder how she even opened the door.

“Oh great, you guys are here,” Tessa says, dumping the books onto her desk. The stack wobbles but miraculously doesn’ttopple over. “Having a gossip session? Some of us have actual work to do, you know.”

“We were just finishing up,” I say quickly, trying to defuse the situation.

“Good,” Tessa says, already half turned toward her side of the room, ready to ignore both of us. “I’m ready to have some peace and quiet.”

“Actually, Tessa,” Isla interjects, her voice deceptively sweet, “we could use your expert opinion on something.”

I wince. This isn’t going to end well. It’s obvious to me that Isla is full of shit, but I’m curious to see how all of this unfolds.

Tessa turns slowly with one eyebrow arched. “Oh? Since when do you value my opinion?”

I clear my throat, trying to cut in before Isla can escalate things further. “We’re making a list,” I say. “Of potential rebounds for me.”

Tessa’s eyes flicker with interest. “A rebound? For you?” She crosses her arms and leans against her desk, studying me. I can almost see the gears turning in her head. “That’s ambitious.”

“It was Isla’s idea,” I say, throwing my best friend under the bus but also hoping it will shift some of the growing tension away from me.

Isla shrugs nonchalantly. “Selene deserves to move on and be happy. We’re just brainstorming options.”

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