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“You better! Or I will be remaking a Love Actually date for the two of you without your permission!”

My phone vibrates and I hold the device away from my ear and peek at the screen. Rosalie. “Ah—Fran, I’m getting another call. We’ll… chat later.” Then I hang up on my girl’s best friend. I may have to pay for that later.

I pull in one quick breath and tap my phone screen.

“Rosalie?”

“Hey.”

“Are you running?” I ask. “You sound⁠—”

“I’m walking. Maybe speed walking.” Her words are breathy. “You sound good—you always sound good. You sound like you should be in a men’s cologne commercial.”

I snicker. “I do?” I’m not sure what that means, but I’ll take it.

“That isn’t why I called.”

“Okay—did you change your mind? You want to meet up for lunch.”

“No. Zevulun. Go to work. I can’t be the reason you lose your job.” There’s my girl, giving others the business.

I balk. “You won’t be.” No, it’ll be the nerve damage in my leg that does that. “What’s up? Is everything okay?” She sounds anxious, almost unnerved.

“Zev, I remembered something⁠—”

“You did?” I gasp. This is it. My girl is back.

“Yes. We have a problem. You have feelings for someone else. An ex, an old girlfriend, a crush—someone. There’s someone in your life.”

Okay. So, she’s not back. And just as my friends predicted, she’s worried I’m pining for someone who isn’t her. “Well, sort of.”

“Sort of?” she barks. “I thought she’d died.”

I clear my throat. How do I dig myself out of this? I can’t lie to her—not when I can help it anyway. “No, she’s very much alive.”

“Holy Sabrina Carpenter, is there another woman in your life? Am I the other woman?” She sounds on the verge of losing it now. I don’t want her panicking over nothing when she is the only woman in my life.

“No, Rose. There is no other woman. You are most definitely not the other woman.”

“You said there was someone. Someone you still had feelings for. We had that in common. I got over my feelings for Robert. Sure, it may have been abrupt, but I did. Truly. But are you over your feelings? For that other girl, I mean. Was last night a mistake, just something that happened and shouldn’t have?” Her words are growing more panicked by the second. “Am I no better than Margo?”

I switch her over to speaker phone, and look up her location—where is she? I need to see her, to try and explain this in person.

“Hold up. No, Rose. You are nothing like that woman. I’m very much single. Last night needed to happen.” How can I say I’m “over” my ex when she’s referring to herself? So I avoid that question and skip to the next. “I’ve been waiting for you to kiss me for what feels like forever.”

“We’ve been friends for a month,” she deadpans, which is better than a panic attack.

I’ve got her location. She’s sitting outside Fran’s house. I can’t go there.

“It feels longer,” I say. “I’m not trying to rush you, Rosalie, but I…” I squeeze my eyes shut, worried I’m about to scare her off. That I’m going to ruin everything. “I’m in this. I want you⁠—”

“But you said you had feelings for someone. Just a few weeks ago. You’re telling me those feelings just vanished?”

“Please believe me when I tell you that you are the only girl I want. There is no one else.” I pause, but she says nothing. She’s quiet. I have officially freaked her out. I gulp and decide to add, “And I mean that in a non-creepy way. I’m sorry. I know it’s… quick. I know it’s new. But I like you.”

“More than⁠—”

“Rosalie, I’m trying really, really hard not to freak you out here—” I’m also trying not to lie to her. “But if you’re going to force me, I’ll say it. Since the day we met, you have been the only woman I see—ever.”