Later that day
“You got a response!” Lola walked into our apartment and waved an envelope.
“Did you get one?” I tilted my head to the side inquisitively.
“Nope—I guess my guy is taking more time to put his thoughts into words.” She shrugged and tossed the letter down in front of me. “Read it out loud!”
“Uh, no.” I picked up the envelope. “I don’t think I want to share it until I’ve had a chance to read it myself.”
“Fine.” Lola sat down and pouted.
I took the envelope back to my bedroom and closed the door. I was nervous to open it—I really didn’t think he would actually write me back. I sat down on the edge of my bed and stared at my name on the front. His handwriting wasn’t eloquent. It was actually more like a series of rough scratches with a pen. I traced the letters and slung my legs around so I could stretch out.
Perhaps he’s just being courteous and letting me know he isn’t interested with a letter instead of completely ignoring me.
I finally gave in and tore the envelope open. It was a plain piece of paper—nothing special about the stationary. I unfolded it slowly and saw that the words on the page were similar to the ones on the outside—just rough scratches that looked like they were written quickly. The words might have been quick, but they were unbelievably impactful. I read the letter once, then stopped to read through it again, going slower as I processed the words.
Wow, he seems really different than the guys I’ve dated in the past. There’s no—gray area or confusion. He believes that love actually means something, and it’s meant to last. I wasn’t expecting that…
I kept reading over his words, and they brought a smile to my face each time I finished the letter. What he said about love might as well have been an eloquent way of saying what had always been in my heart. If I didn’t truly believe in love, it wouldn’t have bothered me so much when I saw it fall apart. I was clearly jaded, but his letter touched on that small shred of hope that my heart never completely let go of. Love wasn’t easy, but so many people threw it away when it got complicated. I had always seen the worst case scenarios—but perhaps—perhaps there was a chance my future could be different.
* * *
“Are you going to read me your letter?” Lola looked up at me as I walked back into the living room.
“I don’t think I should read it out loud—it’s kind of personal.” I sat down across from her.
“Wow.” She blinked in surprise. “So, did this mysterious firefighter found a way to melt the ice around your heart?”
“He gave me something to think about.” I nodded quickly. “I’m not there yet, but I feel like he understands my perspective.”
“Then you’re not mad at me for dragging you down to the matchmaking agency?” She grinned and sat up.
“I’m coming around.” I couldn’t suppress the smile that formed on the edge of my lips. “Cain is—well, he’s interesting.”
“Well give me something…” She narrowed her eyes. “Come on, Chloe—I need to live vicariously through your letter until I get mine!”
“He’s not just a firefighter, he’s also a former Navy Seal.” My eyes practically sparkled when I spoke—they hadn’t done that when talking about a guy since I was a dreamy eyed girl in middle school. “He has a niece who signed him up forWhat the Heart Wants—without his knowledge.”
“Maybe I should have done that instead of begging you until you finally caved in!” Lola leaned forward. “So how old is he?”
“Thirty-five.” My face twisted into a slight grimace. “He’s—definitely a little older than I expected.”
“That’s not too bad.” She shrugged. “I dated an older guy once—you remember Grant, the sexy guy with the British accent. He was amazing.”
“Yeah, but it didn’t last long…” I sighed and looked down at the letter.
“That was my fault, not his. He was everything I could have hoped for—just not when we started dating. His life was in a different place than mine was. He was ready to settle down, and I was still figuring things out.”
“What ever happened to him?” I raised my eyebrows inquisitively. “Maybe you should call him up now that you’re looking for something serious.”
“Too late.” She shook her head back and forth. “He’s married now—and his wife is expecting.”
“Damn…” I grimaced but nodded in understanding.
“If I met a guy like him now? Fuck… Huge regret, for sure.” She turned on the couch and laid back down.
“I’m sure the guy you got matched up with is going to be even better than Grant.” I tried to put some reassurance in my tone.
