The discomfort began to buzz throughout my system at how spot-on he was, but I didn’t want to make it obvious because I wanted him to continue. I didn’t know why it was important to know what he saw when he looked at me, but I needed to know.
He continued. “When you decide to love, you consider it a forever thing. Even people from your past that left your side still hold a place in your heart, no matter how hard you’ve tried to get rid of them. You’re afraid of letting people down, but you also undersell your own talents. You think you don’t deserve the success you dream of because someone else might be more worthy. You love animals. I don’t know if that’s actually true, but I definitely get that vibe from you. You hate seeing people struggle or hurt and want to make the world better, but you’re not exactly sure how to go about doing that. You like scary movies, but you hide under a blanket.” That one made me smile. “You’re too hard on yourself. You keep your deepest hurting to yourself. You worry about your friends worrying about you, so you don’t let them deep into your pain because you don’t want to be a burden. Oh”—he placed his hands against my kneecaps and leaned in toward me—“and you’re a Gemini. I just say that because it’s the only other zodiac sign I know. I don’t know anything about astrology.”
I laughed. “Pisces over here.”
“Ah, they must be known for beautiful eyes.”
“Stop dropping compliments in.”
“Stop deserving them.” His hands were still on my knees, and he had no clue the sparks he was igniting with the seemingly gentle touch. “How did I do?”
“You did good, but you were wrong about one thing.”
“Oh?”
“I hide under a pillow and a blanket when watching a scary movie, not just a blanket.”
“Close enough.” His playful look shifted a bit as he looked my way and nibbled on his bottom lip. “So there was a recent breakup.”
“He broke up with me about five weeks ago.”
“What an ass.”
“Yeah, but I love him. I wish I could say past tense, but here we are. My roommate Sofia said the best way to get over a man is to get under another one, but I can’t even consider that right now. The last thing I want to do is sleep with someone else.”
“Plus, sex wouldn’t fix a broken heart and—holy shit!” He clapped his hands together and hopped up from the ground to a standing position. The grin on his face was so big, but I didn’t understand what caused his sudden shift. “I got it, Red! I know what we can do to help you.”
I arched an eyebrow and stood. “I’m confused.”
“I know, I know, and you’re going to think I’m crazy—which, maybe I am—but here’s the deal: You can’t bang your way out of a heartbreak. That’s not how love works. Love isn’t a physical connection; it’s an emotional one. Plus, after breakups, people replay the good memories over the bad in their minds and start thinking they somehow failed, when, in reality, the bad probably always outweighed the good. You simply held the good tight in your grip because it was few and far between in the end. Otherwise, the good would’ve been enough to keep you together.”
I hated that he was speaking facts. Over the past weeks, all I’d done was replay all the good times Mario and I had together. My mind was stuck on a loop of moments that meant the world to me in my past relationship.
There were only a handful of good memories, yet I simply played them on repeat, making them feel bigger than they already were. Mario was a master at doing the bare minimum, and I celebrated that fact as if he was a god. It wasn’t his fault he gave me mediocre love. It was my fault for accepting it.
“So what’s your point?” I asked.
“Do you believe in destiny?”
I chuckled. “Don’t tell me you do.”
“I think everything happens for a reason, even if the reasoning isn’t clear as day right away. Maybe that’s why we met tonight, Red, because we were meant to. Maybe I had to get socked in the eye and whipped with a lasso because we were supposed to cross paths so I could help you get over your ex.”
“How?”
“The best way to get over a love is to find a stronger connection with another person. So, I present to you, your Halloween love story.” He took a bow as if he was making any sense at all.
I stood still, confused as ever. “Am I missing something?”
“Clearly, because you’re looking at me as if I’m having a mental breakdown—which, I mean, is probably accurate.” He cleared his throat and stood taller as he smoothed his hands over his chest. “I’m asking you to fall in love with me.”
I snickered. “I’m sorry, what?”
“Give me the chance to make you fall in love with me before the sun comes up in the next”—he glanced down at his phone—“five hours or so. It’s just past midnight. Give me those hours to make you fall in love with me. Then we’ll end the love story on a good note. No tragic heartbreak, no hard moments or relationship struggles. No cheating or scandals. Just two people who fell in love, then life or, in our case, morning made them say their goodbyes.”
“You really think two people can fall in love within five hours?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugged and held his hand out toward me. “Want to try?”
I should’ve said no. I should’ve laughed off his crazy idea and ended the night right there on the rooftop, but I didn’t want to go home. I didn’t want to be alone. But most of all, I wanted more time with Captain, even if only a few more hours. Even if there wasn’t a real
