Page 63 of Confessions of a Virgin on a Dating App
Cassidy’s back stiffened as she took a deep breath. “I have herpes.”
I felt the blood drain from my limbs as I processed her words. “Wait, what?!”
“Yeah.” Her gaze fell into her lap. “I never told you why things ended with my ex. Well…he cheated on me. That’s how I ended up with an STD.”
“God, Cass, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay. It’s funny, because my story is so similar to yours. I was terrified that no one would want to be with me. That’s why I haven’t dated in the three years since Brian and I broke up. It’s no secret that I want to be with Aaron, but people tend to run as soon as you mention an STD. So, when he confessed his feelings to me the night of the PvP event, I panicked and told him I didn’t feel the same.”
“And clearly, that’s not true.”
“Yeah.” Her voice sank like a deflated balloon. “And I think he knows it, too. He even asked if we could talk last night at pre-release, and I brushed him off. But knowing that you and Devin are working past your sexual stuff…it made me realize maybe Aaron and I can too.”
“He’s crazy about you,” I replied. “I think there’s a good chance he’ll be understanding if you explain things.”
“Yup. That’s what I plan to do. The truth is, if we use protection and don’t have sex when I’m having an outbreak, the risk of transmission is extremely low. And even if it is a dealbreaker for him…well, it’s better than awkwardly avoiding him for the rest of my life.”
“I feel that. It’s funny, when I was riding in the car with Devin to the ER, he really wanted to know why I rejected him. He looked so…sad. And when I finally told him, he swore he didn’t care. He acted like it was no big deal.”
“That’s wonderful.” Cassidy smiled, but it didn’t quite wash away the anxiety in her eyes. “I hope the same happens for me too.”
“I’m glad we had this talk.” I flipped my turn signal on as we approached the entrance to the mall. “But for the rest of today, let’s just focus on having fun. It’s been alongweek.”
“Agreed. But before we try on clothes…can we stop at the bookstore?”
I grinned as the familiar large, concrete structure came into view. “Of course. In fact, I was about to suggest the same thing.”
Chapter 17
Cassidy and I spent the rest of the day together. We browsed through the mall the entire afternoon, alternating between trying on clothes in the department stores and sitting in the bookstore café with iced coffees and piles of fantasy novels.
By the end of the day, we both had a small pile of shopping bags dumped on the floor next to our café table. But it wasn’t just the thrill of bringing home new dresses and books that had me feeling relaxed and content. Shopping at a mall was nostalgic; it reminded me of my time as a teenager with my old high school friends, taking silly photos of ourselves in homecoming dresses until the sales clerk kicked us out. It was a time before online shopping and home deliveries, when malls were still the epicenter of activity on the weekends.
Now, the tiny mall near our condo was too decrepit to step foot into; full of empty storefronts, twitchy fluorescent lighting, and a dirty food court that even the popular fast-food chains had abandoned.Cassidy swore it was cursed. I joked that it was so creepy that they should run a haunted house there in October.
We had driven thirty minutes into the city center to shop at the bigger mall, one of the few left in Orlando worth visiting. After browsing the bookstore for another hour, we chucked our coffee cups and packed our acquired goods into my Camry. Cassidy teased me about popping into Critical Games and messing with Devin. After all, it was on our way home. I said hell no. I was not going to harass my new boyfriend while he was working.
“I don’t think you’ll be the one doing the harassing,” Cassidy replied with a smirk.
“Oh shut up.”
We stopped to go grocery shopping on the way home, and Cassidy insisted that we load up on ice cream. We spent the evening playing co-op games on her PlayStation, and once the sun set, we broke out the sugary desserts and watched YouTube videos until it was nearly midnight.
Once I’d finished my ice cream and tiredness began to seep into my bones, I turned off the television and rolled off the couch. Cassidy was asleep on the loveseat, her tall figure squished onto the tiny couch with a blanket draped over her legs. Her empty ice cream pint was on the floor, with wet drops of condensation dripping onto the linoleum. I chuckled as I scooped up her empty container and tossed it in the trash.
It had been months since we’d hung out like this. Spending a whole day together, laughing, talking, having conversations about our lives. We’d been living more like roommates and less like best friends ever since we moved in together.
I took a long, deep breath of contentment as I settled under the comforters in my dark bedroom.
It had been a good day.
And Sunday would be even better.
I’d texted Devin sporadically throughout the evening when he wasn’t busy withWargavel, and now that I was alone in bed, I missed him. I both loved and despised the feeling. On one hand, I was thrilled that we were finally together. But I also felt weird about pining for a man I was yet to have a proper date with.
Either way, the thought of him sent warm, fuzzy pulses through my body as I succumbed to sleep. And I ended up dreaming about him that night.
I woke up earlier than usual the next morning. I spent extra time on my hair, making sure my curls were perfect ringlets instead of a frizzy mess. I laid three sundresses on my bed before deciding on a light purple one, and I slipped a quartz crystal necklace that Cassidy had given me over my head. It settled perfectly in the center of my chest, right above my cleavage. Which, conveniently, this dress showed off a tiny bit of.
