Footsteps right next to the table make me jump. I lock my phone and quickly tuck it into the back pocket of my dark jeans when I glance up to find Erika back from the bathroom and taking a seat in front of me.

Shit. I need to reel myself back to reality after that text exchange with GP. I take in Erika's face and shift in my seat. "Are you alright?"

Her nose looks even more crimson than when she got up from her seat five minutes ago. She presses a wad of tissue against her nostrils and her face visibly droops even more. We've been at this café for only about half an hour and her attention has rapidly descended to vacant stares over the course of that time. "Yeah, I'm totally fine." Her voice is nasal and she sounds anything but fine.

I scan her in concern. This girl needs hot soup and a bed. "Let me take you home. You look like you might pass out."

"No, I'm fine! Really." She sneezes loudly into the crook of her arm and then winces as if it was painful. A few people look in our direction as Erika sighs. "I think I'm coming down with something. I don't feel so great," she concedes before covering half her face with her palms.

"Alright, let's get you back to the cabin. We can come back some other time." We already have our sandwiches in to-go boxes, so I close up our lunch orders.

"Wait! You were telling me about your job before I rudely got up. Finish what you were saying, please."

Scrunching my brows together, I shake my head. "I can tell you some other time. I promise."

She blows her nose again and after what looks like a bout of misery, nods reluctantly. "Sure, alright. I'm going to hold you to that." A small smile crosses her lips and I try to return it but can't seem to muster up something to encourage her.

We gather our things and head out. We're silent as I take her back to the cabin. It's a slightly uncomfortable silence and I try to fill it with dumb jokes about the pedestrians passing by. I can't tell if she thinks I'm funny, or if she's smiling to appease me.

Earlier, on the way over to the café, we asked each other standard questions about each other's lives. Where we live, work, and if we have any pets. But it was all so...I don't know. Vanilla?

But it honestly might not have been. I just couldn't concentrate on our conversation long enough. My time with Zoey kept circling through my mind like a looped video advertisement in Times Square. Bright and distracting.

Even now, I keep replaying our near kiss in the dark stash room of the theater. It was as if nothing else existed but that woman and her full lips that called to me like a kid to something...not vanilla. Something covered in chocolate fudge, loaded with M&Ms, and promising a fizzy pop rocks surprise.

But it couldn't have been a near kiss. Right? Zoey has a boyfriend. And she's also not the girl I promised Mom I'd get to know.

And not to mention, there's a virtual woman I'm crushing on, that I'm supposed to meet up with tonight over FaceTime. A person who I basically just sexted with.

Once we reach the house, Erika doesn't move from the passenger seat. She fiddles with the tissues in her hand as the low hum of my mom's Toyota Highlander fills the space.

"Tell me something you haven't ever told anyone else before?" Erika asks quietly, her blue eyes growing as she smiles at me. She's breathing through her mouth with an expectant look on her face.

Pressure builds in my chest. It strikes me now how little I want to follow through on the promise I made to my mom. I shouldn't lead this girl on. Sure, I could try to force things because something may click with us in the future, but knowing myself, things likely won't progress with her, or anyone else for that matter. I'll just have to tell Mom I gave Erika a chance and things didn't work out.

Gripping the sides of the steering wheel, I sigh and then rub a hand over my face. Something I never told anyone? Well..."I've been texting a lot with this girl over the past few months."

Erika's mouth shuts before it opens again and she takes a deep breath in. She remains quiet and I take that as my cue to continue. "No one knows about her, and I'm meeting her over FaceTime for the first time tonight. I'm sorry, Erika."

She's still quiet and guilt starts eating at my lungs. God, why does this feel like a breakup? "I know you're just trying to get to know me better, and this might not be how you expected to answer. Truth is, my life is a bit complicated right now and I don't want to give you any false hope. I'm just not in a good place to date. My mom kind of went rogue when she set this whole thing up."

Erika surprises me with a laugh and then throws a hand to her head. Lightness fills me at the sound. She breathes in before looking over. "Oh my God. No, it's totally fine." Her tone is genuine and sweet. "And my mom is to blame too."

Warmth radiates through my chest and I smile. "We'll hold the court session with both of them then."

"I can't say that I'm not a teeny bit bummed. But thankfully, I'll live." She smooths out her thin pink coat and nods. "I'm glad you're telling me this now. I can be sick in peace without thinking I'm missing my shot."

My forehead pinches while I continue to smile at her. "I'm really sorry. You're an amazing girl, and I would be open to continuing getting to know you if things were different."

"It's because I'm sick, right? I gave you the ick?" There is a hint of teasing in her tone and I latch on to it with a laugh. Maybe she isn't so vanilla after all.

"Definitely. I only date women who sweat hand sanitizer."

She smiles as she wipes her nose. "You said you're FaceTiming for the first time tonight with this mystery girl? Have you guys met before?"

I end up telling Erika all about how the texting with GP started from a package mix-up and then about how the relationship progressed despite not knowing some key things about each other. It feels therapeutic to tell someone else. It even makes GP feel a little bit more real.

"Wow. That's amazing." Erika beams despite her cold. "You should totally start posting TikTok stories about this. I feel like people will become invested and will want to be along for the ride." She sneezes loudly and then slams the tissues against her face. "Sorry." The word is muffled underneath the tissue wad.

I laugh before shaking my head. "Okay, you really should head in and get to bed. I can go pick your sister up."

"Thanks for telling me about this and being honest with me. I'm happy to help any time if you have any questions about this situation. I'm invested in this little love story you have going on."

"I doubt it will go anywhere, but I appreciate that and thanks for your understanding."

"Oh and about us." She wiggles a finger in the air. "Let's not tell the moms just yet. Who knows what they'll do, and I would really like to just binge Love Island while I recover."

"Hah, perfect. Sounds good to me."

We say our goodbyes and I wait in the car as Erika trudges up the bright snow-covered path and disappears into the house. I'm about to shift the car into drive when an unfamiliar gray Prius with a small Uber stamp on the corner of its back window pulls up directly in front of me.

A second later Zoey steps out and says something to the driver before closing her door. My heart skips a beat and I turn off the ignition. Zoey glances up and squints at my car before turning toward the house. Can she see me through the windshield?

I shout out to her as soon as I open my door. "Hey, Zoey! I was just about to come pick you up."

She twists abruptly and throws a gloved hand over her forehead, blocking out the sunlight. Instant cold hits me when I step out of my car and I shove my hands in my pockets.

"Tristan? What are you doing here? Where's Erika?"

"I just dropped her off here. She got sick. What are you doing here?" I stand directly in front of her, near the snow-covered gnomes my mom keeps in the front yard all year round.

"Oh, what? Is she okay?" Zoey's eyes grow wide but she doesn't look at me directly. In fact, she's looking everywhere but my eyes.

"Yeah, she's fine, just needs meds and some sleep. Are you alright?" Maybe Zoey is also getting sick with the way she's started to fidget. She takes a small step back and rubs her gloves together. Her eyes flash to mine for the briefest of seconds before she looks down.

"Yeah, why? Do I look not alright?" she says defensively and takes another small step back. She doesn't look sick or feverish. Maybe she's upset that we left her?

"Well, unless I have an insidious mark on my face, you seem...I don't know. Maybe a little upset?"

Her lips rubbing together catches my attention. The memory of when our faces were inches from each other surfaces in my mind. Heat fills me and I pull out my hands from my pockets. When I look up, she's finally holding my gaze and it makes my stomach somersault a little. There's movement in the gold speckled across her irises. "I'm not upset." She crosses her arms in a very I'm-Very-Upset way.

"Sorry you had to take an Uber home. I should've texted or something."

She waves a hand in the air and adjusts her white beanie. "You don't have my number. So you couldn't have. And honestly, I'm fine. Uber is easy."

"Here," I hold up my phone, "put your number in so I can text you in case something like this happens in the future."

She glares at the device as if it'll burn her if she touches it. What is her deal? An hour ago we were joking around, and now it's like she can't stand to be next to me. "No, that's alright. I can always take the rental and drive separately next time."

"No, seriously." I lift up my phone again, prodding. "It doesn't hurt to put it in just in case. Besides, we'll be working together over the next two weeks so you can use my number to fire off commands. Remember how I'm supposed to cry in a corner at some point?"

Rather than smiling or laughing, her eyebrows tilt downward. I have no idea what's crossing her mind, and it's starting to bug me. Usually I can fix problems, but for some reason, this girl is looking at me like I am a problem.

"I," she starts to say, but is cut off by a voice in the distance.

"Tristan! What are you doing out here?" Mom's voice makes both Zoey and I jump. "Oh, Zoey, you're here too!"

"Zoey? How was the job interview?" Helen's voice travels over the lawn as her head pops over Mom's shoulder.

"Come on, kids! It's too cold out here. I have lunch hot and ready!" Mom shouts.

Zoey is already leaving me in the dust and walking toward the house. I stare at her for a moment. Something's wrong. And I'm just itching to get to the bottom of it.