Here's to Us(What If It's Us #2)(22)

“Jacob Demsky?”

“You know Jacob Demsky?”

“Dude, JD is a legend. You’re seriously working for him?” Mario clasps his hands together. “Arthur, congrats! That’s insane.”

“Thanks! I’m—yeah. I’m excited.” Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Ben looking nervously back and forth between Mario and me like we’re the crossover series he never asked for. “Sorry, you’ve got stuff to mail. I don’t want to keep you,” I say, gesturing vaguely at the boxes by Ben’s feet. “Anyway, I should run. I’m meeting my friend . . .”

“No, you’re good! I’m just so glad to finally meet you.” Mario hugs me again. “Seriously, don’t be a stranger. We should all hang out sometime.”

He smiles, and it’s so plainly sincere, it almost catches me off guard.

“Okay.” I glance back at Ben, who looks as dazed as I feel. “Okay, yeah. That sounds great.”

Just me and Ben and his boyfriend. Because Ben has a boyfriend. Which is absolutely fucking fine, because I have one, too.

I have a boyfriend. I have a Mikey. And before I even step out of the post office, my phone starts dialing his number.





Chapter Seven


Ben

Monday, May 18




The last time I watched Arthur walk away was two summers ago.

I’m reliving that deep uncertainty in my chest all over again. Back then I wasn’t sure who we were going to be after breaking up, and I’m not sure who we’re supposed to be now that he’s back in town with his new boyfriend.

Texting him that picture of the post office wasn’t meant to be an invitation for him to come surprise me, but I can’t exactly blame him. I did send a believer in the universe a picture of where we met. I practically conjured him here like the summoning spell in my book.

“The ex is back. He’s really, really cute,” Mario says with a smile. “?Cómo estás?”

“What do you mean? I’m fine.”

I’m maybe a little defensive. But I don’t want him freaking out that I’m freaking out on the inside and hoping that he can’t tell.

“I believe you, Alejo. I just know it’s weird seeing exes for the first time.”

Weird is an understatement. “Have you ever bumped into exes before?” I ask.

Mario has never talked about his dating history. I’ve totally respected that even though I’ve been really curious.

“Totally,” Mario says as we get on line. “I ran into Louie outside a movie theater and—”

“Louie?”

“My first boyfriend.”

First boyfriend implies there’s a second out there. Maybe more. But that’s not what I’m fixed on right now.

“Please tell me his name is short for Luigi.”

Dylan is going to love this detail more than he loves Samantha.

Mario laughs and shakes his head. “Lo siento, Alejo.”

Dylan is going to hate that more than decaf coffee. Maybe even more than Patrick.



“What happened when you bumped into Not-Luigi?”

Mario grins, like he’s transported back to that moment. “I was so happy to see him, but strictly as a friend. It helps that we were only seventeen when we dated and it only lasted two months. Nothing serious.”

Nothing serious? Arthur and I were seventeen when we dated. It wasn’t even for two months, but I would definitely say it was serious. Not that I have to defend how that summer once felt like everything to me. How after our time together I wished I could have jumped through my phone screen while on FaceTime with Arthur and slept next to him in his bed. How I wished his family had moved to New York for good.

I’m sure we would still be together if I hadn’t been so out of sight, out of mind.

That doesn’t matter anymore.

Eyes on the prize, Alejo.

“Arthur seems really cool,” Mario says.

“He is.”

Arthur did seem cool, but the Arthur I knew had no chill. Maybe he’s grounded himself a bit. But would someone who’s grounded hurry to surprise their ex-boyfriend? I don’t know. I really don’t know who Arthur Seuss is these days.

I tried to stay in touch, I did. But talking about Mikey got too hard. I was in this tough place where I had to support Arthur like a good friend even when I was still working through my own feelings for him. Then they broke up and it gave me hope that the door on us wasn’t completely shut. But ever since they got back together, it’s been clear that we aren’t the great love story I thought we were.

A teller window opens and I help Mario unload the boxes before stepping aside so he can handle his business. I look around the post office, wondering what straight-out-of-a-movie thing will happen. Another flash mob proposal? Then it quickly hits me. The straight-out-of-a-movie thing already happened.

My ex-boyfriend bumped into me with my potential next-boyfriend.

Mario charms his way through the rest of his transaction and we go outside. He taps the empty shopping cart. “Your chariot awaits, Alejo.”

“No way. I’ll push you.”

“No, no, no. I got this.”

“Is this some weird macho thing you’re doing?”