Page 33 of Hale Yeah, It’s You

Roman and I have been texting all weekend—little jokes, lighthearted conversations, nothing too heavy.

Like we’re both afraid to break the spell that Friday night wrapped around us.

We’re living in a bubble, and one wrong move could pop it.

Maybe that’s what happens when you have a history—everything is a little more delicate, it’s been cracked before and you don’t want to press too hard in the same spot.

As much as I want to race back to his place and pick up where we left off, I don’t want to ruin whatever magic we’ve stirred back up.

Still, that night with Roman relit a fire in me—a fire that clearly never burned out. I want him. No matter the risk, I want him.

The rest of my weekend is quiet and oddly blissful.

I add a few potted plants around the apartment, lounge around in my underwear, read half a novel, and blast music without worrying if anyone else likes my playlist. There’s no one to hide from, no one to cater to or tiptoe around. The freedom is intoxicating .

But also a little lonely. A double-edged sword. After so many years of sharing my space—my life—it’s strange having so much of it to myself. I’m still figuring out how to take up space again.

By Sunday afternoon, I can’t keep the date to myself any longer. I sprawl out on the couch in my pajamas, prop my phone up on the coffee table, and hit Sarah’s contact.

“Hey hey, gorgeous! How’s the new place treating you?” Sarah’s voice booms through the speaker.

“I’m currently taking up the entire couch, staring at the ceiling fan, and wishing my bestie was here to bask in the sunshine with me.”

“Wow, you sound suspiciously chipper for someone who was drowning in an existential crisis last week. What did I miss? Please don’t tell me you let Clay talk you into another round of bad dates.”

I sit up, grabbing a bottle of neon pink nail polish and propping my toes on the table. “Nope. Still haven’t heard from him—or Alayna.”

“Ugh. They’ll come around,” she says, her voice softening.

Will they, though? Alayna’s avoidance tactics are becoming an Olympic-level event. Clay’s never frozen me out like this before, and it stings more than I want to admit. I hate that I still check my phone, hoping to see his name pop up.

“It hurts,” I say quietly. “I really thought Clay would come around by now.”

“Don’t get me started on Clay. I’m trying to be a good person here, but he makes me want to fight someone. Preferably him.”

I laugh in spite of myself. “Well, I did have a date on Friday… but not with Clay.”

“Oh my god. Wait—did Dr. Hottie finally get his act together?”

“You and your nicknames. You know he asked if I was still hanging out with ‘Patchouli Sarah’?”

Sarah snorts. Loudly. “I love that nickname. I should put that on my nametag at the shop. No, I’ll make it permanent. I’m getting it tattooed.”

“You should. It’ll be a great icebreaker for your next hookup.”

“Okay, enough stalling. Give me details. All of them.”

I hug myself, grinning before I can stop it. “We went to the burger truck. It was… easy. The conversation flowed. Then it started raining, and when we got back to his place, he whisked me out to the back porch and recreated our first kiss.”

“Shut UP. The doctor’s got moves.”

And foot rub skills, but I keep that detail for myself.

“We were drenched, so he gave me clothes to change into and dried mine while we warmed up by the fire.”

“Naked?” she screeches.

“ No , perv. I just said I wore his clothes.”

She’s wheezing now. “What a gentleman.”

“It was kind of magical, honestly.” I pause, fingers brushing over my collarbone like the memory is still sitting there. “I think I’m in real trouble, Sarah.”

“It’s about time. I’m so happy for you, babe.”

And I am happy. It’s a physical thing—like I’m lit up from the inside, electricity humming under my skin. I hope Roman feels it, too.

“I hope my family can be happy for me someday.”

“They will be. They love you. And they’ll come around.”

“Remind me again why you live two hours away?”

“Because the universe knew we were too powerful to share a zip code. We’re a threat to the local ecosystem. Gotta spread the beauty around.”

“Right. Can’t hoard the charm and sarcasm.” My sides hurt as I laugh.

“You have selective memory. You ignore anything you don’t like.”

It’s meant as a joke, but I hear the truth in it. Maybe that was me for a long time—trying not to see what hurt. But I’m not doing that anymore. I’m not hiding from myself. I’m breaking out of my shell; I can feel myself emerging.

“Alright, enough about me. What are you working on for the next gallery show? I want to brag to all the art kids at school.”

“Oh, you know. Life, death. Big existential themes.”

“Sarah… I’m trying to be serious here.”

“Frankie, you’re the most serious person I know. I’d be more shocked if you said you were trying not to be serious.” Sarah snorts again.

Sarah missed her calling as a comedian; my cheeks already hurt from smiling. This is why she’s the best friend I could ask for, because we balance each other out where it counts. “Ha. Ha. Just tell me about your work.”

“Okay, okay. It’s a series called New Beginnings . A pregnant woman cradling her belly. A teenage girl mid-first kiss. A man waiting for his bride. A clown wiping off his makeup…”

“A clown?” I blink.

“Making sure you’re still listening.”

I laugh. “You really feel like a clown?”

“Sometimes. But I’m ready to take the stage makeup off and just be myself again.”

“You thinking about dating again?” I ask, nudging her the same way she always does me.

“I… maybe agreed to a date next weekend. Met him at the shop. Which is normally a no for me.” She sighs.

“I’m glad you’re putting yourself out there, maybe he’ll be nice.” I smile, knowing she’s already considering backing out. That’s just how she is.

“It would be nice to have someone warm me up by the fire. Naked or otherwise.” She laughs.

“We were not naked.”

“Like you’d tell me if you were.”

Touché. I shake my head, smiling. “Let me know when your next show is. I’ll be first in line when the doors open.”

“You’ll be the first person I call. Love you, babe.”

“Love you, too, lady.”