Page 72 of Somehow You Knew

He shakes his head, staring down at his beer bottle between his spread knees. “Fine. Probably my belly button lint.”I scrunch my nose. “Ew, that’s disgusting.”

“Yeah, well, some kids ate boogers. I ate my belly button lint.”

I stare at the man sitting across from me, not sure if I like where this game is headed. “Okay then, I feel like I’m starting to understand you better already.”

Gage smirks as he reaches for a card. “Describe your most embarrassing moment.”

“Oh, that’s an easy one. I was photographing a wedding and my leggings split right down my ass crack. I was bending over, talking to everyone all night long with my bare ass sticking out since I was wearing a thong.”

“You didn’t feel a breeze or anything?”

“It was an outdoor wedding, and it was already chilly outside, so I didn’t think anything of it. Luckily, I have a nice ass, but still. I’m sure I was the talk of that wedding for years afterward.”

His gaze drops down my body, slow and appraising, before he clears his throat. “That’s pretty embarrassing, Spitfire.”

I shrug, reaching for a new card. “Nothing I can do about it now. Okay, next question. When was the last time you cried?”

Gage’s face instantly grows serious. “The day I walked into my aunt’s house to clean it out.” He takes a swig from his beer and picks up the next card.

I reach out to place my hand on his. “Gage…”

“Don’t, Hazel. I answered the question, now let’s move on.”

Sighing, I return to my spot on the couch. “Fine.” But for just a split second, I learned something about Gage—he does have a heart under that tough exterior, and maybe he hasn’t dealt with his aunt’s death as well as I thought.

Gage clears his throat. “What’s the worst date you have ever been on?”

I roll my eyes. “Oh, this is easy too. It was about a year ago and it’s actually the reason I swore off men—including you, since Diane was determined to set us up.”

“What happened?”

I spend the next few minutes recounting my date with Derek, the thunder guy.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Gage finally says, shock written all over his face.

I take a sip from my wine glass because I deserve a drink after getting through that story again. “I wish I were.”

His fingers drum against his knee, nostrils flaring. “I’ve never wanted to throat punch someone so hard that I’ve never met. The way he treated you…” He clenches his jaw. “You deserve someone better than that, Hazel.”

“I know, but I’m done looking for him because that night I finally admitted that he may not be out there.” Gage’s eyes remain locked on mine. I can hear my pulse in my ears, and that’s when I know that I need to keep moving this game along, or I might start daydreaming about him potentially being my person.

Sitting here with him, having a drink and talking—albeit forced—is exactly the type of relationship I’ve always wanted. I want to be with my best friend, someone I can be honest with. And part of me wants to let Gage see who I really am. It’s not like I have anything to lose—this marriage has an end date, so who cares what he thinks of me at the end of this?

Gage breaks our stare first, so I reach for the next card. “What is your biggest fear when it comes to love?”

He doesn’t even hesitate before taking a drink from his beer, choosing to avoid the question.

I put my hands on my hips. “Seriously?”

“Hey, you gave me the option of drinking if I don’t want to answer, so that’s what I chose.”

“Fine, then I’ll tell you mine.” I sit up straighter on the couch. “I’m afraid of ending up alone, but part of me thinks it would be better than settling for someone who doesn’t see me.”

“What do you mean?”

I stare down into my wine. “When I find my person, I want to know that when he looks at me, there are no doubts.” I lift my gaze to his. “I want the kind of romance that feels effortless because there were no other people in the world for us but each other. I want the kind of love my parents had.”

“And what kind is that?”