Page 97 of In Somnis

I open my mouth. Close it. “Rude.”

“Accurate,” she corrects, fighting a smile.

“Fine. What’s your brilliant plan then? Walk up and what… talk to her like a normal person?”

“Yes, actually.”

I laugh. “Absolutely not.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’ll die.”

She rolls her eyes. “You’re so dramatic.”

“I’m realistic.” I cross my arms. “Besides, what would I even say? ‘Hey, Sydney, remember that time we had sex, and then you pretended I didn’t exist? Want to grab coffee?’ ”

“Maybe not that exactly.”

“See? No plan. We’re doomed.”

“Okay, fine. What if I help you?” She tilts her head. “Like… I could give you advice. Tell you what’s working, what’s making it worse. Insider perspective.”

“That…” I clear my throat, “… actually doesn’t sound terrible.”

Her whole face lights up. “Yeah?”

“I mean, my current advisor is my teenage brother who thinks the moon is energetically significant and keeps putting crystals in my pockets.” I shrug. “So the bar is extremely low.”

She laughs. “Fair enough.”

“And,” I add, because apparently we’re doing this. “If you want help with Paul, I could… I don’t know. Return the favor? Give you the male perspective? Though I should warn you, I’ve never actually had a real relationship, only hookups. And one of those went so badly that I’ve been pining for a year, so… yeah. Grain of salt.”

“A whole grain?” she teases.

“An entire salt lick.”

She’s grinning now. “So wait. Are we being each other’s wingman?”

“God, no. That sounds terrible.”

Her face falls slightly. “Oh.”

“I’m suggesting we be friends,” I say. “Friends who happen to be bad at romance and could maybe help each other not die alone surrounded by cats.”

“I like dogs better.”

“Even better. Die alone, surrounded by dogs.”

“I’d like that. The friends part, not the dying alone part.” She lifts her good hand between us, pinky extended. “Friends?”

I look at her pinky, then at her face, at the way she’s smiling at me as though I’m not a complete disaster, like maybe I’m someone worth keeping around, and hook my finger around hers.

“Friends.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Lennon