Page 75 of As a Last Resort
“Well, when you put it that way…” I wasn’t surprised at her lack of faith in the whole concept.
“Wait, you believe in the idea of soulmates?”she asked.“Even after what happened with Vanessa?”
“I guess I still have hope that maybe she just wasn’t the right one and I thought she was.”I’d seen examples of it in my lifetime through my grandparents and my parents.It was possible, even though it took me a while to circle back to that thinking.
“So what happened then?After you caught them?”
After it all went down, I remembered when people would ask me questions and I’d clam up.I’d get angry.I’d shut down.But talking to Sam felt different.She made it easy for me to open up.
“He got a job in Boston and they left.”
“And last night was the first time you’ve seen her since?”she asked.
“Not exactly.”She was staring at me obviously waiting for me to continue, but I was done wasting time talking about the disasters of my love life.I wanted to know more about her, like why her last relationship didn’t work.“What about you?Any tragic love stories to affirm your hopeless outlook on love?”
“Ha!Plenty.My last boyfriend lasted six months, and I don’t think he even knew my favorite color.”
“Isn’t that kind of a basic fact?”
“Exactly.And it’s green, in case you were wondering.But more of a dark green, like a forest green.Now you officially know more about me than he did.”She paused.I could tell she was considering whether to continue or not.“And, I think he may have had a few dalliances behind my back.”
“Dalliances?”
“Fancyfor he was an asshole.Apparentlyexclusivedoesn’t mean the same thing it used to.”
“I don’t think itusedto mean much anyway, for what it’s worth.”
She smiled.“Speaking of, the look on her face last night was priceless.”
“Oh, so youdoremember something from last night?”
She blushed.
“Ugh, I can’t believe I puked everywhere.”She cradled her head in her hands, laughing.
“It’s okay you vomited.Vomit doesn’t bother me.Whether it’s vomit on the street, vomit on the driveway…”
“Ew!Stop it with that word!”she laughed.
“Vomit on my sheets…”
“Oh my gosh, I didnotpuke on your sheets, did I?”she asked horrified.
“Not a lot,” I answered.Making people laugh was not somethingI did.I wasn’t considered a funny guy, but every time I made her laugh, I felt this primal need to do it more.This beautiful sound sparkled when it reached her eyes.It made her whole face light up.
“I can’t imagine staying in the same hotel as Robby, let alone the same room.It’d be worthy of a twenty page HR report.But I promise, you won’t even know I’m there.”
I highly doubted that.My phone dinged again.
LEXI:SOS for Sam.It’s about her mom.
“Hey, have you heard from your mom?”I asked.
“No, why?”Her eyebrows creased at the quick change of topic.
“Lexi just texted me.She said to call her when you have a sec.It’s about Bonnie.”
She fished out her phone, looked at the screen, and a darkness swept across her face.She stood up and started to walk away.
