Page 110 of I Never Stopped Loving You

“Ooh, hospital sex. Never thought that would be on my bucket list.”

“Jesus, Jenna. The man has a concussion and a cracked skull. There won’t be any sex happening for a while,” I scoff, and we both start laughing.

“Well, hopefully he’ll be better soon. Did you want anything from the restaurant? Or you could come with us.”

“Just let me know where you end up going, and I can check out their menu online. You and Jeremy enjoy your date.”

“It’s not a date,” she says far too quickly.

“Sure…” I tease.

“Okay, maybe it is. I don’t know, he seems different from the other guys I’ve dated. Anyway, I’ll text you when we get to wherever we are going. Got any cravings?”

“No. My stomach isn’t feeling the greatest right now, but I know I need to eat.”

“What’s wrong?” she asks.

“Nothing,” I lie, but she can read me like a book.

“Lies. What is it? Spit it out before Jeremy gets back.”

How much can I tell her without revealing too much of my past?

“I don’t know. Just sometimes some of the things Noah says makes it seem like he’s known me longer than I’ve known him…”

“Like a stalker? Babe, are you sure you’re not just looking for an out like you always do?”

Leave it to Jenna to be blunt as fuck about it.

“I do not always…”

“Mike. Great guy, great job, but he was…What did you call it? Not ambitious enough with his life. Said he was settling for the bare minimum in life when you knew he could do more. Sam. In law, was hot as hell and super tall, but you said his opinions were too different when it came to certain cases. You went out with those guys for two dates each. Never kissed and definitely never had sex with them. Yet, you managed to find an out after two very short dates.”

I glare at her, and she holds her hands up in defense and smirks.

“All I’m saying is you seem to try to find any reason not to let yourself be happy. You keep your walls up, and that’s fine. I know there is shit about your past you haven’t told me…”

My mouth falls slightly open, and she quickly backpedals.

“I’m not saying you have to tell me everything, Willow. I can just tell there is shit from your past that you don’t tell people. Just know that whatever happened back then, it shouldn’t keep you from being happy now. Everyone deserves their happily ever after.”

“Here we go with the happily ever after stuff again,” I joke, but maybe she’s right.

“Just stop overthinking things. Stop trying to find an out. Let yourself be happy.”

“Jesus, you and Jeremy sound a lot alike.”

“We may have been out here talking for a while. We just want the same thing for both of you. And we both agreed this is the happiest we’ve ever seen either of you.”

“Traitor.”

“No, not a traitor. We’re playing matchmaker.”

“Oh, so it’s a game now?”

“There may be a bet involved,” she laughs as she finally finishes touching up her eyeliner and lipstick.

“And that is?”