“Okay, so what’s the problem? You realize how crazy it is that we ran into them again, right?”

“Yes, I know.”

“So . . .”

I groan and rest my head on the island as I mutter, “I like him, Nichole.”

“Um . . . what was that?”

I lift my head and look her in the eyes. “I like him . . . like him like him.”

“Oh.” She pauses, letting my words sink in.

“Yeah, oh.”

“Like, this isn’t just carnal for you?”

I shake my head. “No, it’s not. I feel drawn to him, like there’s something special about Ryot that captures me. I can’t pinpoint it, but it’s there. I want to be close to him when he’s near, and I just want to talk . . . talk about everything.” I rub my eyes. “God, Nichole, I told him about my parents last night.”

“Wait . . . what?” she asks. “Seriously?”

“Yes. He asked me out on a date, and I told him it probably wasn’t a good idea. He asked why and for some reason beyond my comprehension, I told him the truth. It just came out of me. I didn’t even second-guess it.”

“How did he react?”

“The way I would expect him to—in the sweetest way possible. Told me I don’t have to carry my baggage alone and that the right person would help me carry it, you know, the type of stuff you hear in romantic movies but never hear in real life.” I groan and rest my head back down on the counter. “I don’t need this right now.”

“Don’t need what?” Nichole asks.

“A crush,” I answer.

“Ooooooo,” Nichole coos, which just makes me want to bang my head against the counter. “My girl has a crush on a boy.”

“Nichole, don’t make this worse than it is. I’m already feeling weird about it and unsure how to navigate these feelings I really shouldn’t be having.”

“Why shouldn’t you be having them? It’s a natural thing to crush on a man who has been nothing but nice and sexy and fun.”

“I don’t have anything to offer him.”

“I bet he thinks differently.” She waggles her brows, which causes me to roll my eyes.

“You know what I mean. He seems like the forever type of man. From his baggage speech alone, I can tell he’s into relationships. He’s into dating and commitment. You know that scares the hell out of me, and I fear I’ll hurt him if I go out with him. That’s the last thing I want to do.”

“So what are you going to do?” Nichole asks me. “Just never get involved with anyone?”

“You aren’t involved with anyone,” I point out.

“Because I’m not ready to settle down yet. I’m having fun, and nothing is wrong with that. And when the right man does come along, then yes, I will settle down, get married, and have kids, but I’m still young. I’m a free spirit. I love sex, and I will not stop because society’s standards say I should be married at a certain age. But the difference between you and me is that I’m not avoiding relationships, and I’m not pushing men away out of fear of hurting them. I just know what I want right now. And that is fun. What do you want, Myla?”