a

s I never planned on

and of a neurotic psychology pro

Color-Coded Calendars-and pretending we're madly in love. It's either going to be a

like she'd just walked into a bear trap. Honestly? I almost felt bad for her. Almost

mattress and gave her a grin

ared at the bed like it had

e cash. My last gig filming a docuseries about burnout in med students fell through thanks to a morally

f Ivy Monroe coul

or her perfectly parted hair. It was the way she talked about emotional vulnerability like i

to fake being emo

th

less

ed was the director of the program-gathered us all around a fire pit near the lake. Ivy and I sat on one

spered, nudging

owned.

re a couple.

rm around her shoulder, and to my absolute delight, she sti

" I murmured

ed me in

ff to a g

" Translation: a slow, awkward partner dance class taught by a baref

she'd rather w

th," Sky said in a soothing voice. "Then mirr

ed my eyebrows. "Ready to

n, I will strangle you with

t first. I swayed left. She stepped right. I leaned

ween the exaggerated arm circles and the r

really

ehind a clenched jaw. But I saw the moment she gave up. The

as beautiful wh

ere flushed, her hair messier than usual, and t

at dancing," she

smirking. "You were doing some

idn't pull away when I pl

gre

bin, I caught her pacing near th

there, P

zed I forgot to bring my lavender s

e. "Didn't realize lavender w

gulate corti

ience-scen

er eyes. "You'

a li

elt... different. Not just awkward. Charged.

es flicked

e

row. "Want me to

"No. That's n

'm okay with

s. We can... share. Ju

has bette

ak

my hands. "Fine, fin

board on the edge, me relaxed and half-spr

t no

ever

disappointing people. I told her about my chaotic childhood, my filmmaker dreams, the

nd saw her asleep-face turned toward me, hai

ked sof

rofessor who live

t I

eting second, I forg

ing, I woke u

e! How did I end

"Morning, sunshine. You're sur

is is-this is une

. "Ivy. It's fine.

a pillow a

nitely a

to suspect it might