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few bites and then decide it is now or never. “So, Tyler, I actually — ”
    â€œHi, Paige.”
    And there is Luke, standing right next to my chair.
    Timing will never be my strong suit.

Chapter
    4
    I was never the girl in school who always had a string of boys around her. If anything, I was the opposite. I barely went out unless it was to Layla’s house, and I didn’t even know I was on my first date until it was over, seeing as how a “bunch of us going to the movies” turned into me; Layla; Layla’s high school crush, Tim; and Tim’s cousin, Daniel.
    After the boys left the theater, Layla burst into a happy monologue about how excited she was that our first double date was with each other and how we could just marry Tim and Daniel and be cousins-in-law and have all kinds of cute babies that had the same last name.
    Tyler looks up at Luke and smiles a polite smile. “Luke, right?”
    â€œThat’s right. And you’re … uh …”
    â€œTyler.”
    â€œRight,” Luke says, looking back at me.
    I, meanwhile, am praying like crazy.
    Please, Lord, don’t let Luke say something that will ruin this whole breakfast with Tyler.
    He must see something because Luke smiles once at me, lays a hand on the back of my chair, and nods to both of us. “Well. Y’all have a great time. I’ll see you later, Paige.”
    I manage one of those “mm-hmm” faces at him and he leaves, picking up a to-go cup off of a table on the other side of the restaurant and waving at a few guys. I recognize their faces but can’t remember their names.
    â€œLuke is Layla’s brother, right?”
    â€œRight. Listen, Tyler …” I say, starting again.
    â€œPaige.”
    I swear the insides of my cheek are going to be just a mass of overworked flesh in the very near future.
    I look at him, at his sweet expression, at his bright blue eyes, and chicken out.
    â€œNever mind,” I say quietly, then shovel another bite of peach pancake into my mouth.
    He looks at me for a second and then shrugs it off. “Okay then. So I’ve been meaning to ask you, I heard a rumor you like that awful Chinese place with the three-dollar General Tso’s chicken. That can’t really be true, right?”
    â€œOh, of course, no,” I say, pulling my best impression of Zorro.
    He keeps talking about how he went there one time with some coworkers and three of them got food poisoning. I’m trying really hard to pay attention, I honestly am, but my brain keeps wandering away from the table.
    Luke is moving here. Permanently. The running into him at restaurants is going to end up becoming a common thing, I think. We both like the same ones. It always made date night easy because we both liked the same four restaurants.
    Preslee was in my apartment today. In my apartment . Mom must’ve given her the address. I talked very briefly with Mom yesterday when she called to sing happy birthday, but she called last night after the Cheesecake Factory fiasco and I was just too emotionally exhausted to hear Mom’s new constant conversation killer.
    â€œHave you talked to your sister yet? She really wants to talk with you, Paige.”
    Tyler is still talking, and I am sad to realize I didn’t hear a word of the last thing he said. He’s grinning and talking and obviously enjoying his burrito while my peach pancakes suddenly taste gritty.
    I believe that’s because they are mixing with a good dose of Frustration and Annoyance.
    Not the best of spices.
    I swallow a bite, mentally corralling my thoughts. Focus on Tyler, head. Focus! Tyler is here. Tyler is sweet. It seems like there could potentially be some sparks with him.
    â€œAnyway, what did you end up doing for your birthday?” Tyler asks. Ah, the segue into the I-got-kidnapped-for-dinner conversation.
    I finish another bite and try not to feel guilty over something I probably could