“What are you implying?”
“What if it’s not a kiss?” I say, my mind whirring. “What if it’s the modern-day adult version?”
Lex’s brows furrow. “I really have no idea what you’re talking about.”
I look over at Lex with a grin. “True love’s fuck!”
Lex groans and covers her face with a hand. “Really?”
“Think about it! This all started with sex, so why wouldn’t it end with it? But, you know, with the right person, rather than anyone I can convince to go to bed with me? I don’t think I’ve ever truly liked anyone I’ve had sex with—they were just the people who happened to get past the curse before it had time to kick in—which, according to your science, means they were as far away from being the right person for me as possible.”
Lex tuts. “I’m not sure if it’s scientific to extrapolate data this far.”
I flop onto the couch. “I can’t help it, Lex. This is the first time I’ve ever had a clue about what to do to fix this mess.”
Lex is quiet for a long moment. Then she sets her laptop down and joins me on the couch. “As hesitant as I am to jump to conclusions, I agree that it wouldn’t hurt to explore this hypothesis. Going on some second dates would be a good next step. Besides, what’s the worst—”
“Don’t say it!”
She purses her lips and rolls her eyes. “Fine.”
“But how am I supposed to get someone to fall in love with me and have sex with me to break the curse if it just gets more awkward the closer I get?”
Lex shrugs. “What if you slowed things down with your relationships? Ease the person in so by the time they have sex with you they’re basically halfway in love already.”
I give Lex a long look, then burst out laughing. “Hold on a second. You’re telling me to actually get toknowsomeone before I have sex with them? Are you my mother? Wait, no, that’s not advice my mother would give.”
“Hey now, I’m the last person in the world to slut shame—controlling women’s bodies is patriarchal bullshit, and I absolutely agree that you need to take someone on a test drivebefore you get serious—but these are unprecedented circumstances we’re dealing with here.”
I hate how right she is, and I want to argue with her, but she’s making way too much sense. “Fine. Okay. No hanky-panky until they’re falling for me. So, what now?”
“If we reorganize the data to sort your dates from least awkward to most awkward...” Lex clicks away on her laptop.
“Most awkward meaning most likely to find true love and break my curse,” I add.
Lex shows me the data and I take a moment to read the names, mulling over which person I can feasibly call back and beg for another date. But something isn’t adding up. “Wait... this isn’t right.”
Lex frowns, glancing from me to her screen. “What?”
Realization hits me so hard I have to lean forward and brace my arms on my legs. “There’s something missing.”
Her eyes jump from me to her laptop and back. “I don’t miss things.”
“I can’t believe I didn’t think of it before,” I murmur.
“Think of what?”
I huff a laugh. “Oh my god. It’s so obvious. It’s been right in front of me the whole time.”
Lex leans forward. “It has been?”
I look deep into her eyes. “Lex?”
“Yes?” Her breath hitches in suspense.
“It’s your brother.”
Lex’s laptop falls out of her hands and clatters on the floor. “Mybrother?”
