“Hey now,” Olsen says, his voice quiet and soothing. He gets up and moves to my side of the table, wrapping an arm around me and giving me a side-hug. “It’s okay! The woman isn’t hurt, her clothes will get cleaned. Though next time if you want a different drink, just ask. You don’t need to come up with such elaborate plans.”
I bark out a hoarse laugh, which makes Olsen chuckle, which only makes me laugh harder. The absurdity and stress of this whole situation has finally caught up with me, and all I can do is laugh. I laugh until my belly aches and tears stream down my face, until I can’t breathe and all I can do is shake. Olsen holds me, laughing along, but I’m sure for a far different reason. Finally, the laughter subsides and I wipe my face with my hands before turning in my seat to look at Olsen’s kind, handsome face as he searches for a way to get our dinner back on track andtell me... tell me what? That he doesn’t want things between us to be over? That he wants to continue our relationship?
He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, his thumb pausing on my damp cheek with a caress. “I could listen to you laugh forever,” he says, his voice low and husky.
Goddamn it, why is he smiling at me like I’m some magical fucking treasure or some shit? If anything, I’m the opposite. Here I am, supposed to be telling him I’m in love with his sister, but I can’t even do that properly. My plan is backfiring completely. I’m only making things worse. But I should be used to that by now. It’s my thing.
“Aubrey,” Olsen says, snapping me out of my spiralling thoughts. “Gabe told me he invited you to his play on Friday. Since you’re coming, and my parents will be there, I was hoping I could introduce you to them as my girlfriend.”
I search for words. Something.Anything. But come up blank.
“You don’t need to answer me right away,” he says, ever so patient, ever so kind. “I know you have a lot going on. Lex filled me in on your work project—which sounds amazing, by the way. You’re so full of wonderful surprises.”
If either of them knew the truth about my past, about what happened at work, they’d never speak to me again. After a long pause I manage to say, “I’ll think about it.”
This seems to placate Olsen enough for him to let me leave. He insists on getting the food packed up and sending me home with a big bag of it, tipping the server generously, and walking me outside and into an Uber.
I disassociate as the driver takes me home. All my sensations are distant and fuzzy. My whole body is numb. Lex wants me to go to Gabe’s play as her girlfriend, Olsen wants me to come ashisgirlfriend, and Friday is the same day the work project I stole from Jasleen is due, and, worst of all, the curse is NOT broken.
I have no idea what to do.
No matter what, I’m going to let everyone down. I’m going to hurt everyone I care about. And I’m going to end up all alone.
Exactly what I deserve.
The conversation I need to have with Lex can’t be done over the phone. I promised her clear, open communication, and that’s exactly what she’s going to get—no matter how hard it is. Lex has a way of making everything make sense. She and I can figure it all out together. I’m sure once I tell her that the curse is still happening, she’ll have ideas about why it isn’t broken yet and what to do.
As soon as I’m home I text Lex to meet me there. She replies immediately with an ETA, which gives me just enough time to pick Winston up from Pat’s and take him for a quick walk. By the time I hear the door open at the top of the stairs, I’m still not entirely sure what I’m going to say, or how I’m going to say it. I hope that when I see her face, when she holds me in her arms, everything will make sense.
Winston sounds the alarm and rushes up to greet her, but there are two voices. Two sets of footfalls make their way down the stairs, and at the bottom Gabe’s tentative smile is the first to greet me.
Yet more proof that the curse is here to make everything as awkward as possible. I’d totally forgotten it was Lex’s week with her son. I’m a terrible partner.
“Oh, hi, Gabe! What a nice surprise.” My heart is thumping so loudly in my ears I can barely hear myself talk.
Gabe brushes his long blond hair aside and gives me a small wave, then goes back to tousling Winston’s grey fur. Lex looksfrom Gabe and Winston up to me, and her smile immediately falls when she notices my demeanour.
“Are you excited for your big play in two days?” I ask Gabe, trying to sound normal. “Have all your lines memorized, your makeup figured out, costume on point?”
Gabe doesn’t look up from Winston, but he nods and says, “Yep.”
I can’t help but smile. A conversationalist he is not.
“Sweetie, why don’t you take Winston to the backyard? Throw the ball around? Do you feel safe doing that by yourself?” Lex asks, crouching so she’s eye level with her son. Gabe gives Lex an enthusiastic nod and Lex looks to me. “Is that okay?”
“Yes! That would be great.”
Gabe grins, excited to have a bit of freedom and show us how responsible he is. Lex shuffles Gabe and Winston up the stairs and out the door, leaving the two of us alone.
I gesture to the couch. “Shall we?”
“What happened?” Lex asks, sitting next to me. “Did he take the news pretty hard?”
Part of me wants to lie to her, to tell her that everything went great, that I said what needed to be said with Olsen and we can move forward with our relationship, free and clear. Knowing me, if I thought for even a second I’d get away with a lie like that, I might consider it. Unfortunately, there’s no way around the uncomfortable truth.
I take a deep breath, and then look into Lex’s clear blue eyes, which are perceptive as hell. Her brows furrow, expression shifting, and she leans back as she regards me. “You didn’t tell him.”
I open my mouth to speak, but no words come out. After gaping like a fish for a long moment I shut my trap and manage a guilty head shake.
