Page 24 of The Pieces We've Lost

what’s wrong? what happened? how did the date go?

It was NOT a date.I rolled my eyes as I typed out my reply.

It wasn’t a date.

But it was…fine

Almost immediately, her next messages popped up on the screen.

Isa

i need DETAILS

SPILL

actually you know forget that. I’m coming over.

Isabelle pulled into the driveway in record time. She had to have been breaking so many laws on the way here,but it was nice to know she’d risk a speeding ticket and hefty fine for me.

“All right, Ells, I didn’t drive twenty over the speed limit for nothing, so spill.” She hugged me as she walked in the door.

“So, we met for coffee,” I started.

“Well, obviously. Get to the good stuff.”

So impatient.

“He was nice. He asked me the weirdest questions, but it was kind of sweet. He also didn’t push me to talk about anything if I didn’t want to. There were a couple of times my dad almost came up and I felt awkward, but I think he could sense that so he changed the subject.”

“We love a self-aware man.” She grinned.

“He asked me for my number…” I trailed off.

“And? Did you give it to him?” She was excited now. Leave it to Isa.

“No…”

“Ellison Jo Wilson. What the fuck?” Her mouth gaped. “You’re telling me that this man is essentiallyperfectfor you and youdidn’tgive him your number?”

“If you’d let me finish.” I laughed. “I didn’t give him my number, but I told him he could give me his.”

“Okay, that’s better than nothing. But did the romance novels I made you read teach younothing?”

I didn’t have the heart to tell her that her romance novels might have caused her to have even higher standards for men than I did. And mine were near impossible in a place like this.

“Give me your phone,” she demanded, her eyes wide.

Uh oh.When Isa had an idea, she was not going to give up.

I didn’t like where this was going. “What are you going to do with it?”

“Trust me, please.” She gave me puppy dog eyes.

“Sorry, I don’t know about—” Before I could even finish my sentence she was already in full-blown attack mode, her target: my phone. I never should have given her my password. I needed to remember to change it.

She snatched it out of my hand and scrolled through my contacts. When she inevitably didn’t find his name there, she searched my notes app instead.

“Seriously? Why haven’t you added him to your contacts?”

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