Page 104 of The True Garza

“Hell no. Why would I screw things up with a potentially good man for a fuckboy? I’m gonna end things with True.”

“Or that.” She nibbles on some chow mein noodles from the bottom up before forking the rest into her mouth. “So, I know I’ve been avoiding you about the realtor… but the truth is, I don’t want you to leave. At least, not yet.” She stabs a shrimp with her fork. “My life is the shit, but it’s also…shit, you know? I’m fucking lonely. And having you back has been great. We might not mesh well, but we’re finally at a point where we understand and respect each other’s boundaries, so I really like having you here. I’m finding I enjoy having meals with you more than I do Mom. Like I love her and all, but her narcissism can be overwhelming sometimes.”

She nibbles more noodles before continuing, “And, girl, I don’t know whatthe hellis going on, but with all this success and a banging body, I can’t seem to get a man to stick around. For the past two years or so, every time I’ve started seeing someone, as soon as it feels like we’re getting somewhere, they just… ghost me.”

That gives me pause. “What do you mean?”

“They disappear on me.Poof. Like, check this: The last guy whovigorouslypursued me worked in our building. You’d think for sure he wouldn’t try to ghost me, because he’d still have to see me every day, right? Nope, this one took ghosting to a new level—he left his job. A high-paying job that he’d only been promoted to three months prior, which he told me he spent his entire career working toward. He left it. Just like that. I’m starting to think something’s wrong with me.”

Well, shit.

Nothing’s wrong with you. You’re just marked.

But how can I tell her what, or ratherwho,is making her dates disappear? She’s Brook. The truth will either scare the living shit out of her or light a fire under her—depending on what kind of mood she’s in this year. Brook is a mood human, but her moods are yearly. Last year, she was in a‘rich bitch conquering the world’ mood. This year…I honestly can’t quite tell. Like the fact that shewantsme around. Is it a ‘family is everything’ mood? I don’t know. Her mood has been hard to gauge this year, so there’s no way I’m going to risk telling her about Lorenzo Castello until I know where her head is at.

“Nothing’s wrong with you,” I tell her. “It’s just LA. Maybe you should look into long-distance dating. See where that takes you.”

She points her fork at me. “There’s an idea.”

“And I’ll stick around a bit longer. This feeling of yours won’t last, so whenever you start yelling at me for forgetting a spoon in the sink, I’ll know it’s time to leave.”

She cackles.

My phone lights up on the table with a text.

True: Got plans tomorrow? Wanna see you.

Say you have plans. Lots of plans.

Me:No plans.

End things. Right now. DO IT.

Me:I want to see you too but not for a hook up. We need to talk.

He doesn’t respond until Brook and I have finished dinner, washed the dishes, and are watching TV in the living room.

True: OK. Meet me here at 8pm.*GPS location attached*

In adherence to my wishes, he hasn’t brought me back to his house. Sometimes we hook up here, sometimes it’s at a nice-ass condo downtown—which I’ve since learned is his “bachelor pad”—and sometimes it’s on the beach, in his Rover. But this location is new.

It doesn’t matter, though, because we won’t be having sex. For real this time. No matter how hot he looks or how thick my clit swells with need. A part of me knows I should have just ended it in that text message, but I need to prove to myself that I’m stronger than my urges.

To make sure of it, I’ll be wearing armor. The thing he hates the most….

Skinny jeans.

An incoming video call takes over the screen.

Dennis.

Seeing his name doesn’t have the same effect as True’s name, though. Whenever a call or text comes in from True, my heart skips several beats and various parts of me tingle.

But I know better than anyone that life decisions should never be based off emotions, and with True it’s all intense feels and unquenchable sexual cravings. The explosive kind which will eventually crash and burn, fade into nothingness.

With Dennis, it’s more gradual. He’s the stable kind that yougrowin love with. He’s the better choice. Not that True’s hat was in the ring to begin with.

I tap the green icon and answer the call.