Page 15 of Accidental Husband
If I want to spend my breakup miserable and alone, drinking my bodyweight in matcha lattes, reading YA romance, and listening to whiny singers curse their exes, I will.
And the singers aren't whiny. Why does everyone describe people who express emotion as whiny?
Yeah, they might be a little needy or clumsy with their professions of anger, but at least they're capable of getting it out.
That's more than I can say.
"Okay. I lead the conversation. We listen to emo music. And you read my YA romance with me," I say.
He looks at me like I'm crazy. "Why?"
"You're showing me your kind of good time. I'm showing you mine."
His nose scrunches with distaste. "What's the book we're reading?"
I set my backpack in my lap, dig until I find my Kindle, then show Griff the cover of our read. A gorgeous tiara on a pastel pink background.
Griffin groans. "Really?"
"That is a beautiful cover."
He shrugsI guess.
"Look me in the eyes and tell me you think it's poorly designed."
"Covers aren't really my thing."
"You design tattoos."
"Is that a tattoo?"
"You've never done a book cover tattoo?" I ask.
He groans. "That's a bullshit technicality."
"Hmm. Maybe it is. Or maybe you should admit you're wrong."
"It's a beautiful design, yeah. But it's also a fucking tiara."
"Do you have a problem with princesses?" I ask.
"Is this book really about a teenage girl finding out she's a princess?"
I shrug like it is. Really, the crown is a metaphor. Yes, the book is a modern day Cinderella story, but there's no actual royalty. Or fairy godmother. Or magic.
Only a midnight deadline and cruel stepparents. The ugly parts of the fairy tale without the magic.
Like life.
When I'm satisfied by his level of dread, I explain the plot.
He tries to hide his smile behind his latte, but he doesn't quite get there. "I will read this." He pulls out his cell, opens up the Kindle app, finds the book. "If you let me plan the entire trip."
"And our Paramore and YA romance afternoons?"
"I'll slot those in."
"All right." This is a win. Usually, he won't even discuss YA romance (beyond mocking my love).
