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“You sure it was on accident?”
“Yes. The first hundred pages had math notes, and he knows that’s the last thing I would purposely read. I was looking for a scratch piece of paper and saw my name. And the first poem was all about how he’d never tell a soul he loved me.” Winnie rubbed her collarbone. “I hate poetry more than I hate math. But his wasn’t the worst.”
Holy guacamole, she had feelings for the guy. Maybe just nostalgic, happy-to-be-noticed kind of feelings. But that wasn’t nothing.
“Do you want to come out when he picks me up and say hi?” I asked, trying to sound casual. I handed back the popcorn bowl and took a few pieces for myself. “I’m heading over to the main house in a minute. I don’t want any random dudes back here. Especially if they write poetry.”
Winnie threw a piece of popcorn at me. “I shouldn’t have said anything. And no, I don’t want to come say hello. He probably wouldn’t even remember me.”
“Okay, but if I casually work it into the conversation, am I allowed to find out if he remembers you?”
Winnie stared at me for a long time. I stared back. She raised one eyebrow. I raised mine.
“It would have to be very casual, Carmen.”
“Super casual. I would be the queen of stealth.”
“Speaking of stealth, would you mind if I come with and take a peek through the blinds at him?”
“I would be shocked if you didn’t.” I glanced around and grabbed up my purse from the end of the couch. “Any popcorn in my teeth?” I flashed her my smile.
“Nope. You look great. Knock him dead.”
I didn’t know about that. I was wearing a comfortable pair of jeans with a red and white striped chunky sweater—an outfit for going out, but almost as comfy as staying in. “Hat or no hat?” I asked. I stuck on the red knit hat Gia had talked me into buying three winters ago, telling me it looked, quote, ‘adorbs.’ It did match my sweater perfectly, but I wasn’t normally a hat person.
Winnie pursed her lips. “Where are you going?”
“To a Friends of the Library mixer. We’ll be out in their courtyard, but maybe they’ll have space heaters.”
“Carmen, wear the hat. Wear a parka if you have one, you poor, cold-blooded thing.”
I smiled. “Okay.” I could always stick it in my pocket later.
Sensing Titan would be the punctual type, I headed outside with Winnie, entered my parents’ house through the back door and shut it behind us. My parents were watching TikTok videos with Gia at the kitchen table and barely acknowledged us with a small wave. I reached the front room right as the doorbell rang.
“I’ll do my best to pause right in front of the window so you can get a good long look at him, Winnie.”
“Stop thinking about me and go have fun.” She ducked back into the hallway and shooed me away with her hand.
I opened the door and smiled at Titan. Just like the last time I’d seen him, his shirt was crisp and tucked in, and his hair was neatly combed. Not a hair out of place. “Hey, you ready to go?” I asked.
“Sure thing. Um, you do know this library event isn’t doing cosplay, right?”
“What?” I looked down at myself and then back at him.
“Where’s Waldo?”
Son of a gun. I took off my knit hat and tossed it onto the couch, hearing a snort from the hallway on my way out.
Chapter 22 - Isaac
Dessie looked exactly like the picture Maria showed me, except for her hair, which was now platinum blonde and bobbed instead of shoulder-length and brown with blonde highlights. I got the feeling she changed it a lot, like many hairdressers. There was an air of high maintenance around her, like she always had perfect hair and makeup and expected to be noticed for it.
“You look great.”
She beamed. “Well, thank you. You’re not too bad yourself.” She went in for a hug, so I gave her one, and then we sat across from each other at a high-topped table inside the café, and she rested her chin on her fists and stared at me. “You are exactly as cute in person as your picture.”
“Thanks.”
