I said yes without even pretending to have to think about it. There was no point. We both knew I would go anywhere he asked me to. He held me by my elbow as I climbed up into the seat, and he shut the door behind me. The fact that he opened doors for me was something I appreciated in a guy. The gesture wasn’t lost on me—it was an old-fashioned and small thing, but I actually really liked the thought behind it and it made me feel safe. Kael was a gentleman without even trying. As he stood there, looking so confident in himself and in me, I knew this was all temporary and had my guard up not to get used to it. I hoped there would be men out there like him. If I could find someone who was half as smart and thoughtful and opinionated and socially and emotionally aware, I’d be lucky.

“I have something planned for you. Nothing too fancy, I put together some music”—he paused, sheepishly—“and I want to take you to dinner at my favorite spot in town.”

I was getting more excited by the minute.

“You made a playlist? How cliché, but also awesome.” I couldn’t wait to hear what Kael had assembled.

I was in fake-dating bliss.

“Wait, am I dressed okay? I’m still in my scrubs. I can change if you want to stop by my house.”

Kael shook his head. “You look great. You don’t need to change. Unless you really want to?”

I didn’t really want to. Yes, I wanted to dress cute and look as pretty as I could to hang out with Kael, but at the same time I felt comfortable. Even with no makeup and wearing my favorite black scrubs, I did actually feel pretty.

“I can stay in this,” I told him, settling it.

This is what life must be like every day for people who are in love. Not that I was in love, but this was companionship that’s good for one’s heart and self-esteem. Kael thinks I’m cool enough to hang out with, and though I tried not to value myself based on other people’s opinions of me, his opinion mattered.

“I found like five bands I think you’ve never heard of. One is called Chevelle. I once knew this guy in basic training who would scream their lyrics over and over. They were from his hometown, and by the time we graduated, I knew almost all of their songs by heart. I don’t know if you’ll like them now, but if you had listened to them before you fell for Shawn Mendes, it might have been a different story.”

“Leave Shawn out of this,” I told him with a smile.

“I saw that poster in your room at your dad’s.”

Kael turned onto the highway as daylight was disappearing from the sky.