Page 80

“To you.”

I pursed my lips. “Lots of things. He was a pretty horrible person. And the worst part was, I knew he wasn’t the right one.”

“Did you?” He glanced at me. “How?”

“I just did. And I didn’t trust my gut.”

“I read somewhere once that intuition is yourself in another dimension, already knowing and trying to tell you.”

“Huh.” I paused. “I wonder if that’s what Noel and Nick are feeling.”

“What do you mean?”

“That ‘I just know’ thing they keep saying. If it’s that.”

“Themselves in another dimension, trying to tell them that they’re meant for each other?” He smiled a little. “I like that.”

I smiled too. “So do I. Like a little touch of déjà vu.”

I got up to stand next to him while he straightened his tie in my floor-length mirror.

We did match.

We looked really good together, actually.

6

WILLIAM

“THE CIGARS WERE A great idea,” Nick said, watching his wife-to-be work the room.

I had to give it to her, Noel was likable.

We were at the engagement party. The venue was packed. Everyone in town was here—except for Lauren, for some reason. I’d started scanning the room for her the second I got here, then I stopped myself because why was I doing that? It’s not like she was my date.

“I can’t take credit. It was Lauren’s idea,” I said, watching the door. “Hey, what does Noel say about her?”

“About Lauren? She loves her. Why, you don’t like her?”

“No, I do.”

I really do.

She looked gorgeous in that dress. Seeing her in it had given me a visceral reaction. I wondered offhandedly if that was me in another dimension trying to tell me something.

I shook it off.

“I wish it could have been more than cigars on the patio at Holiday Spirits,” I said, turning back to him. “I could have planned a trip if you’d given me more time.”

“I don’t want to wait on my forever.” Nicholas smiled at me. “When are you finding your forever? Gonna get back out there?”

I scoffed. “I’ve been out there. I came back.”

“Come on, you haven’t told me about anyone in a year,” he said.

What I wanted to do was tell him about Lauren. About what exactly, I didn’t know. I just wanted to talk about her for some reason.

She and I had spent seven hours together today. Not at any time did I wish it was over. Not even when the dog started farting in the car.