Page 63 of Love Unavoidable
“I don’t know. Maybe not be so quick to judge? And better communication? Isn’t communication always the problem in a relationship, anyway?”
“That said, I should probably tell you now, I have another date tomorrow night.”
“Jesus, woman. You date more than I do. And you just moved here.”
“It’s an app that Kat told me about, makes it easy to connect with people, just give them a thumbs up or a thumbs down. If you each rate each other a thumbs up, you get a gold star. And then another for each major part you are compatible on. Five gold stars and you go on a date.”
“What are the other major parts?”
“Oh, you know, marriage, kids, monogamy, finances, big stuff like that.”
“Maybe I should try it,” I say.
“Somehow, Romeo, I don’t think you need any help in that department. Not to mention, it’s geared more toward people looking for relationships, not hook-ups.”
“What’s the app called?”
“On the Way to the Wedding.”
Is she fucking joking?
“See?” My voices rises of its own accord and I run my hands through my hair again. “This is exactly what I’m talking about.”
She looks at me quizzically.
“Mixed messages!”
I get nothing from her.
“You tell me you aren’t even a month out of an engagement and that’s why you can’t start something new—”
“I didn’t say—”
“Let me finish. You said that’s why you can’t start something new with me. But then you jump right on an app AND go on dates with guys looking to get married?”
“When you say it like that, it sounds kind of bad.”
“That’s because it is bad, Sadie.”
“Okay, fine. Putting that aside for a minute. So where do we go from here then?”
“I don’t know.”
“Ethan.” She stops walking and touches my arm to get my attention. “Can I be honest with you?”
She looks like a fucking picture with the sun setting behind her and the blue of the water as far as the eye can see. Her hair is tousled from the wind and her cheeks are just the tiniest bit pink. I want to tell her how beautiful she is. But we’ve been down this road before and it’s clear she doesn’t want my compliments. So I keep it to myself.
“I would appreciate honesty,” I tell her instead.
“I like you, a lot.” Sadie looks down at the sand, digging her toes in before continuing. “Probably too much. So, I have to date other guys who aren’t you.”
Huh?
“I don’t understand. You like me, so you have to date other guys?”
She sighs. “Aaron is supposed to be my soul mate, if you believe in all that stuff. He’s it. The one. And I couldn’t stay in it.”
“That’s because you aren’t in love with him,” I say.
