I tossed my phone on the bed, stripped out of my clothes, and headed into my bathroom in my underwear. I always washed my face and brushed my teeth before bed. It was a ritual I’d started when I was a little girl. If I didn’t do those two things, I found that I couldn’t fall asleep. Instead, I’d just obsess about them until I crawled back out of bed and got them done.

I froze as I got a glimpse of myself in the mirror.

When Alex texted me about dinner, I’d rushed around to make sure everything was tidy before he got there, completely forgetting that I had spot treatment on a couple of breakouts. I stared in horror at the two little white spots on my jaw, one of them smeared from Alex’s hands when we’d kissed.

With a groan, I got my toothbrush out and started brushing, glaring at myself in the mirror.

When I climbed into bed I sent an embarrassed text to Alex.

Why didn’t you tell me I had stuff on my face?! Haha

He texted back quickly. You did? :p

I sent a face-palm emoji in reply.

Why would I embarrass you? No big deal,babe.

My stomach fluttered at the endearment.

Next time, let me know. LOL

I will, he replied. Then another text came through.

I’m going to try to get some rest. Sleep well, beautiful.

As I pulled the blankets up to my chin, I wondered where all of this would go. I was a romantic; I believed in happily-ever-afters and finding the person who you’d be with for the rest of your life. I’d seen it happen. Was this it?

I wasn’t ready yet. I’d mapped out the next few years, and the plan was to graduate and be settled in my career before I found the person I wanted to spend my life with. Anxiety made my stomach churn. Maybe I could tweak the plan a little. It wasn’t as if it was set in stone, and I knew I wasn’t willing to say good-bye to Alex because the timing was off.

I hadn’t even had sex with Alex yet, and this thing we had already felt different than anything I’d ever encountered before. There was an easiness between us, a weird feeling like I’d known him forever. I fell asleep thinking about the way his eyes crinkled at the sides when he smiled at me.

*  *  *

“You’re seeing Alex!” Hailey sang happily as she slid into the seat next to me in our business-communications class. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because there isn’t anything to tell yet,” I replied, laughing at the wounded look on her face. “We’ve hung out a couple times.”