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“I think you might be a little biased, Aunt Eileen.”

“Biased my ass. I’m right.”

I couldn’t believe we were having this conversation.

“Now onto the other one. This online friend? My girl, you don’t know this person. I know you think you do, but how can you when you’re never met? They could be lying about everything.” My first instinct was to argue. To tell her that Ididknow Bibliofile. That we had shared so many things with her. No one, not even my family, knew that I wanted that spice set collection. I’d told Biblio so many things I’d never dream of telling someone else.

But Aunt Eileen was also right that I didn’t know some very important things about Bibliofile that I’d have to know if my crush was going to go anywhere.

“This online person could be in a relationship. They could be emotionally cheating with you. Did you think about that possibility?”

I had, but so far everything with Biblio had been completely platonic. Anytime things got flirty (which was usually me taking things there because I couldn’t help myself), Biblio would just stop responding to me for a while. She’d go dark and then a while later she’d come back and pretend that nothing had happened. And I’d be extra careful for days afterward to make sure she knew I wasn’t trying to push her into anything.

Bibliofile was my friend, first and foremost. I’d rather live with an unrequited crush for the rest of my life if it meant that I got to keep talking to her. Even if we never met. Even if I never knew her real name. It would be worth it.

I explained all that to Aunt Eileen and she sighed again.

“Honey Bunny, I think you’re lonely.”

I scoffed. “I’m literally surrounded by people all the time. How could I possibly be lonely?”

“You can be lonely standing in a stadium full of people. What about friends?”

We’d had this talk before.

“I have friends,” I said, sounding petulant.

“Other than me? Other than your online person?”

I had acquaintances that I said hello to. I had people who I promised to call for coffee or some other thing that we never did. Friends? I didn’t have the time, even if I wanted them.

“You’re so young, my girl. You have all this life out ahead of you. I want you to go out and do something social next week. This is not a suggestion.” Her tone was firm, and I knew there was no use arguing. I could be stubborn, but Aunt Eileen was older and had more years of practice winning battles.

Arguments raced through my head, but she wasn’t going to listen to any of them. There were always reasons I couldn’t go out and do something. Always something happening at the farm. Always something going on with my siblings or my parents.

“Okay,” I said.

“Wow, you didn’t even fight me that hard. Good job,” she said. “And when you go out and do something fun for yourself, I want you to take a picture and send it to me. I’m going to need evidence of this adventure.”

Honestly. This was ridiculous.

“Okay, fine. I’ll do it.”

Eileen snorted. “You’re acting like I’m forcing you to get a pap smear. I want you to go out and have fun. Be young while you are young! Jesus Christ, girl.”

Well when she put it like that, it was a little silly. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to do fun things. There were just so many other things that seemed more important than fun.

“I’m going to do it, I promise.”

She harrumphed. “You’d better.”

Chapter Seven

Bren

It waskaraoke night at Sapph and I had picked the wrong night to come out, but I was here, so I’d have to suffer through it. While a beautiful butch murdered Melissa Etheridge, I tried to get one of the bartender’s attention.

Coming to Sapph was better than going to any other bar, plus, there were beautiful people to look at everywhere.