Olivia opens the door. Indigo is watching a movie. There’s a ton of popcorn spilled on the couch.

My hands go for the pockets of my sweats. Indigo gets up, swallowing a mouthful of popcorn, and pauses the movie.

We stare at each other, unsure how to start this. It’s crystal clear that neither of us has been in a situation like this before.

“Um,” Olivia walks past us, “I’m going outside with Nova and Kai,” she nods, a little smile playing on her lips. “Good luck.”

After she leaves, we burst out laughing.

“This is the weirdest thing I had to—”

“I’m sorry for—”

We smile again, a moment of silence passes between us. I gesture to the couch and she nods, her hands shaking slightly as she sits down.

“Why didn’t you tell your parents the truth?” she questions, resting her elbow on a pillow and her head in her palm.

Indigo has never really asked me a question before. Well, she’s asked a few, but only tiny ones, insignificant. Given the fact she’s doing this for me and my sister, I owe her an explanation.

I shrug, feeling ashamed of what I did. “Didn’t want to let them down.”

She seems pleased with the response, nodding like she understands perfectly.

“My relationship with my ex-girlfriend made them proud,” I confess, and her eyebrows raise.

A comfortable silence settles. I feel like we’re looking at each other for the very first time. She’s gazing at me with heart-stopping eyes while I try to memorize every feature of hers. She has a temptingly curved mouth, exotic cheekbones in a delicate face, and a short straight nose.

“So… is there anything I should know before…” she shifts in her seat, “you know?”

I crack a smile. “You, my girlfriend, are a successful businesswoman and you live one hour from Lynbrook.”

She laughs and the corners of her eyes wrinkle.

“You went that far.” She adjusts her position, resting back and swinging both her legs onto the sofa. “How long have we been together?”

“One month.”

“How did we meet?”

“Through a mutual friend who introduced us after my breakup. I was reticent at first, but you were fun to be around.”

She nods, deep in thought. “So, we were friends initially?”

I nod my head in agreement.

“How old am I?”

I try to remember if I said anything about her age, but I’m pretty sure I didn’t.

“Be yourself,” I suggest. “Apart from what I’ve just said, of course.”

She blinks, genuinely surprised. “You want me to act like I normally do?”

I nod.

“But why?”

“You won’t get lost in lies.”

And it’s true. Being herself will stop her from overthinking everything: how she should react, how she should talk, and more. She’ll be free to say whatever she pleases and, maybe, who knows, she might even have a good time.