Page 44 of Just Another Meet Cute

Besides Ryan, this was the first time that someone ever told me that what I was doing was okay.

That I didn’t have to have everything figured out and it was fine to not have a goal in life right now.

And the fact that Dad was the only person who actually understood and accepted me made my chest tighten almost painfully for a second or two before all the air and stress flowed out of me. Whoosh!

For the first time in over a year, my shoulders felt light. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” He grinned at me. “Besides even if you have a plan, it doesn’t mean that it’s always the right one. Believe me. Things have a way of surprising you.”

“You mean like suddenly finding out you have two teenage daughters instead of one?” I was proud of the fact that we were able to joke about this now.

Dad let out a bark of laughter. “Yeah, pretty much.”

With a deep breath, I took the plunge and reached out to take his hand.

This was the first time we had touched each other, aside from the occasional bump in the halls or passing the remote or ketchup bottle.

“I’m sorry I was being such an ass—sorry, a brat—before.

I was scared that you would abandon us like your other family.

And in a way, I think I was mad at you for choosing them over Mom. ”

“I didn’t.”

“I know.”

He let out a sigh. “But I did abandon them. Even if it was for their own good.”

I shook my head. “Still, it wasn’t fair of me to be that way.

Especially since I didn’t know the whole story.

And maybe they don’t know the whole story either.

Instead of wondering if they’re still mad at you, why don’t you ask?

The worst thing that could happen is that you’re right.

If you ask me, wondering is worse than actually knowing.

” For some reason, Ian’s words rolled off my tongue as naturally as though they were my own.

“Maybe you’re right. Not today, though. I think reconnecting with one daughter is enough for one day.” He squeezed my hand when I opened my mouth. “But soon. I promise I’ll call them and I’ll tell you all about it afterward. Deal?”

“Deal.”

Letting out a deep sigh of relief, Dad let go of my hand and stood up. He lifted his arms over his head and stretched from side to side. “Now I have to go and attempt to pry your mom away from that massage table. Are you going to stay here?”

Nodding, I saluted him. “Good luck with that. Maybe we could get some ice cream later?”

“I’d really like that.” Dad started to walk away when he stopped and turned his head back to smile at me. “You know, I think you and Lucy would get along pretty well. Maybe someday you can meet her. And Adam. Although I think we should keep him away from Linh. Just in case.”

Even though I knew he was joking, I snorted with laughter at how accurate he was.

Dad didn’t know, but I had shown Linh a picture of Lucy and Adam before, and she swooned onto the bed before calling dibs on Adam.

It didn’t matter to her that he was over a year younger than her and sort of my brother.

After Dad left, I pulled out my phone to text Ian to tell him about what happened. I had to tell him about the tiny step that Dad and I took together. It wasn’t much, but it felt like the start of something. I knew Ian would be proud of me, and most importantly, I wanted him to be proud of me.

It wasn’t until I pulled up his number that I realized with a pang that we weren’t talking anymore. Or rather, he wasn’t talking to me .

But overshadowing my disappointment was the sudden realization that I had automatically turned to Ian first. Why was my first instinct to talk to him and not Linh or even Ryan?

When had Ian become so important in my life that he was the first person I turned to?

When did I start depending on him so much?

Almost in shock, I slumped back against the cushions. The edge of my Kindle dug into my side, but I didn’t move, because the answer to my own question was staring me smack in the face.

I didn’t just like Ian, I was in love with him. He became my person.

I’ve liked people before, but it wasn’t the same with Ian. My previous boyfriends didn’t make my heart swell three times its size just thinking about them, like I was the freaking Grinch on Christmas Day.

Despite the fact that Ian was so frustratingly annoying, stubborn, and … wonderful, I still loved him. Even when I didn’t want to, which was pretty much most of the time. Despite all the problems it caused and all the people we would hurt.

Oh my God. Especially Ryan. How was I going to tell him—tell anyone—that I fell in love with his brother?

Twin brother? Which was on its own different level of weirdness.

I still liked Ryan. Like really liked him, and I thought it was enough.

It should have been enough. But the way I felt about Ryan was different from my feelings for Ian.

Less intense and consuming. With Ian, everything was just … more. And I couldn’t deny it anymore.

But I still didn’t know how Ian felt about me.

I mean, I think he liked me, too. He definitely wanted to kiss me yesterday and would have if we weren’t interrupted.

But it wasn’t just that. It was the way he looked at me sometimes.

How his face brightened when we talked, like I made his day better by being there.

Or the way he touched me … he had to feel something , at least. As cheesy as it sounded, Ian and I had a connection. Chemistry.

Although the fact that he was ghosting me now wasn’t exactly very encouraging, but the fact that he did want to kiss me was. Oh God, it was all so confusing.

It was ironic how different the two of them were about their feelings. Ryan had always been pretty upfront with me about everything. While Ian was not.

Why couldn’t I have been in love with Ryan instead? It would have been a thousand times easier. But no, my stupid heart had to fall in love with stupid Ian. Who wasn’t even talking to me anymore.

But I needed to know. Needed to find out once and for all how he felt. If maybe he felt the same way I did.

After all, wondering was worse than knowing.

Maybe it was time I took my own advice.