“Nothing, it’s nothing.” I pull away from his distracting hands.
“Jane. It’s clearly something. Tell me.”
“No. It’s not. It’s . . .”
I turn away, arms wrapped around my stomach. What if I tell him the truth? I haven’t tried that yet. If I can get him to believe me, maybe then he’ll, I don’t know, at least stay the night.
My heart pounds, picking up speed as I consider the ramifications.
He’ll probably think I’m lying at best. At worst, he’ll think I’ve lost my grip on reality. But what if he’s the key to getting the days to move on? To finding love?
I spin back to face him. “You’re going to think I’ve lost my mind.”
“Jane.” His eyes search mine. “You’re worrying me. What is going on?”
Before I can overthink it, I blurt the words out. “I’m reliving the same day. This day. Monday, June seventh. Over and over and over.”
He stares at me for a few seconds. Then his brows dip in confusion. “What?” A bewildered laugh tumbles out of him.
“I know it sounds ridiculous, but it’s true. I’ve lived through, oh gosh, I don’t even know, a hundred of this same Monday.”
He shoves one hand in a pocket, the other rubbing the back of his neck. “I, um, I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything.” I sigh. I’m flushed, face on fire. Embarrassment envelops me in its sweaty embrace. “Look, I can prove it. Leon is going to come out of the bar in about ten seconds. He’s going to call you Pickle Juice, then he’s going to cross the street and nearly get hit by a car. He’s going to tell you he booked another gig next month.”
He’s silent for a second, processing. “I don’t think—”
“Hey, Pickle Juice!” Leon jogs out of the bar. The car honks.
He throws his arm around Alex’s shoulders. “We got another gig booked next month.”
Alex stares at him, mouth open. Then his eyes flash to mine.
I shrug.
Silence descends.
“What’s going on?” Leon asks.
Alex coughs. “Nothing. Uh, are you . . . okay? Because of the,” he gestures at the road, “car?”
Alex has never been this discombobulated. Did I break him?
He blinks rapidly, his eyes moving from Leon to the ground back to me. He frowns.
Yep. I broke him.
Leon waves it off. “People don’t know how to drive.”
Alex nods, distracted.
“Okay, well,” Leon glances back and forth between us, from Alex’s befuddled face to my sheepish one, his brows lifting. “I’ll just leave you two alone. Nice to finally meet you, Jane.”
“You too,” I call as he jogs back across the road.
Alex faces me. He regards me in silence for a long moment.
I twist my hands together. My heart is beating so loud, it can probably be heard down the block.
Wait. I haven’t felt this way in a long time.
Shock slips in as I wait for Alex’s reaction. I haven’t really been anxious in a long time. Not like before. How did I not notice?
I don’t have time to linger on the realization because he starts talking.
“Okay. My rational mind doesn’t think a time loop is possible, but I also can’t figure out how you knew Leon was going to say all of that or how that car was going to come around the corner at that precise moment. I would think you were playing some kind of prank, with Leon’s cooperation, because this is absolutely something he would set up, but I also know you don’t know Leon and wouldn’t have had the time to arrange it all so perfectly. So . . .”
I wait for the gears churning in his mind, analyzing every possible conclusion.
It takes a while. “If you’re not sure, I have more,” I offer.
His brows lift. Then he nods.
“You told me about naked lightsabers.”
He releases a bark of surprised laughter.
“Okay, so no specific details, you were both very close-lipped about it, but I know it was a thing. You’ve also told me about how you obsess over work because of your sickness. Leon has to force you to take breaks. Your parents gave you tour bus tickets, and they’re about to expire.” I blow out a breath. “You always steal my fries when we go to dinner. You’re one of the most considerate people I know. And you’re a really good kisser.”
A smile flashes across his face.
I step toward him. He keeps his hands in his pockets, but he doesn’t back away.
That’s a good sign. Isn’t it?
“Alex, I know it sounds totally bananas, but it’s true. I’m not a stalker. I swear, I know all of this because you told me.”
He is silent for a minute, eyes searching mine.
My nerves start jittering again. He’s going to tell me to eff off, or take me to a hospital. But my nerves don’t explode into panic, because I know if he does, it won’t matter tomorrow. I hang on to that, the only truth I know. Tomorrow, I’ll wake up in bed and he won’t remember any of this. No matter how terrible this moment is right now, it’s not forever.
What used to be a curse is now a lifeline.
Finally, he nods. “If you’re going through this, then I believe you.”
Relief makes me sag; I didn’t realize how tense I was until he spoke. “You do?”
“Yes.”
I swallow, breath whooshing out of me in a relieved rush. “I really thought I would have to convince you more. Or you’d run away screaming. Or take me to the hospital for a CT scan. Which I’ve already done, by the way.”
He chuckles a little. “I have to admit it sounds incredibly farfetched, and I would like to come up with a more logical reason you could know all of that. But I’d prefer to take you at your word.”
“Really?”
“I try to believe what people tell me as they see it, not how I think they should.” He shrugs. “That’s where true understanding comes from.”
Oh, Alex. It would be so easy to love him.
I squeeze my eyes shut, pressing my fingers to the middle of my forehead. “I
