Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 87181 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87181 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
“How do you know Marvin Gaye but not Dr. Phil?”
“I’m a complex teenager.”
That was the understatement of the century.
Maybe Mano was right, though. Maybe that was my chance, and instead of taking it, I missed my shot.
HOLLY
For the past few days, I’d been wallowing in my self-pity, but Mano and Kai did a pretty good job making sure that I knew I wasn’t a complete failure in the dating world. For self-preservation, I’d deleted every single memory of Matthew from my phone. I deleted his phone number. I got rid of any photographs we took together and trashed our text messages. I knew if I didn’t, there might’ve been a chance I’d get emotional and backtrack our short-lived romance to see where things went wrong.
I was still overwhelmed because Christmas was only two weeks away, and I didn’t have a date to take home for the holidays. Or even more so, someone to distract my mind from the reminder of what happened the previous year. Each day that passed, I felt my chest tighten. I realized last Christmas affected me more than I thought, and the closer it grew, the more I couldn’t focus.
I hadn’t written in almost a year. For an author, that felt like I hadn’t taken a breath in three hundred-some days. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t function. I couldn’t imagine going through this holiday alone. I couldn’t face the small-town people asking me questions or looking at me with pity stares. It was all too much. So, I did something that was probably idiotic but necessary for my soul. I got back on dating apps.
I mindlessly swiped until I came across a profile that stood out. I froze in place as I stared at my screen.
Name: Kai
Age: 31 years old
Profession: Restaurant Owner
Bio: Just looking for Holly.
I stared at Kai’s bio, completely stunned at the words.
Just looking for Holly.
My heart felt as if it were doing cartwheels in my chest as those four words filled my head.
He couldn’t have meant me, could he? No way. We were just friends. Nothing more, nothing less. Sure, sometimes when I was around him, I’d think…well, my heart would…no. There’s no way.
Since when was Kai on the dating apps? Since when was he putting himself out there? My head felt woozy as I reread those four words repeatedly, almost as if I’d slipped into a fever dream.
My palms were sweating as I placed my phone down on my desk. I picked it up and glanced once more. Yup, still there. Just looking for Holly.
The butterflies were in a frenzy in my stomach as I tried to get a grip.
What was I supposed to do?
Was I supposed to swipe right on him?
Did I swipe left on his profile and pretend I never saw it?
Did he swipe on me first?
My heart was raging inside my chest at heart attack speeds, so I did the only thing I could think to give me direction: I paid for the premium package on the dating app to see who swiped on me first.
He was sitting in my list of men who’d swiped on me.
Kai chose me.
Me.
He picked me.
Without another thought, I swiped right on his profile, and the words “It’s A Match!” flashed across my screen. I didn’t send him a message right away. Instead, I went back to his profile and looked at all the photographs he chose of himself. He looked great in every single one. There was one of him standing outside of his restaurant with Ayumu. He was smiling slightly. Not his full-blown grin, but a soft one showing pride in opening said restaurant. The next photograph was of him making a cocktail, followed by one with him on a motorcycle. I didn’t even know Kai knew how to ride a motorcycle. The last one was him hugging Mano after a football game. I knew that picture well, seeing how I was the one who took it at jersey night. The caption below it read: taken by Holly. That is the person I’m looking for here.
Oh. My. Gosh.
I felt nauseous but in a good way. The kind of nauseousness that came from excitement. Like Christmas morning.
Then, his name popped up in my messages.
Kai
About time.
My mind was still in a daze of confusion as I typed back to him.
Holly
So…I’m the Holly you’re looking for?
Kai
You’re the Holly that I’m looking for.
Holly
This was quite the surprise to stumble across. What if I hadn’t gotten back on the apps?
Kai
Mano told me you were getting back on.
Good ole Mano, sharing my pathetic news with his brother.
Holly
I’m still on the hunt for a holiday date, so I figured the time was of the essence. What if I didn’t find you, though? What if we didn’t swipe on one another?
Kai
Seeing how I already swiped left on hundreds of women who weren’t you, I would’ve just kept swiping.