All of These Things

All of These Things by Anna De Mattea Page A

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Authors: Anna De Mattea
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary
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right now? Are you trying to set us up, Sofie? I have Ryan!” I stare, dumbfounded. Fury rockets through me.
    “So what. I won’t tell,” she counters. “And, no, I wasn’t trying anything, Caroline, but I won’t say it didn’t cross my mind.”
    “Who even does something like that?” I ask, rising to my feet. “What kind of person tries to single-handedly destroy her best friend and cousin’s good and decent, happy relationship? Who Sof? What the hell is wrong with you?”
    “I don’t know what you want me to tell you. I noticed Alec gawking at your picture, and one time I straight out asked if you were his type. I guess the universe put the wheels in motion.”
    “Oh, would you cut it out with all of that. Let me tell you something about the universe. The universe cooked up a plan for me to walk into a bookstore at the same time Ryan was there. There’s your universe. You can’t dictate the universe, Sofie. You, of all people, should know that with your meditations and Feng Shui and Shamans. You’re virtually bordering on witchcraft! And now you’re strategizing against the universe? What would your leader, Ruby, say about that, hey?”
    Sofie’s eyes narrow, and her chin upswings insolently. She takes a step closer to stab a glare.
    “First of all, Ruby is a guide, not a leader. And let me tell you one thing right now—I saw more excitement whooshing inside you tonight than I ever saw with Ryan. Even when you first met him and introduced him to me, I saw zero spark. There was no thrill and no buzz.”
    “Stop watching over me,” I say aggressively.
    “I don’t feel like it,” Sofie boasts.
    “You’re incorrigible, you know that. Like a hemorrhoid! You’re this eternal pain in my ass.”
    It never fails. I always feel late to the game around Sofie, and she’s continuously throwing me onto new field. She ventures into social circles with open arms, and I’m left dizzy in her rotations, and then need her like a lifeline.
    “We’re just talking, you know. Me and Alec,” I say, pulling myself together.
    “It’s sexy isn’t it... the accent?”
    I give her a signature mark of a roll of my eyes and devour the food. I needed that more than I knew.
    “It’s interesting. That’s all. I should get my phone. Need anything from inside?”
    “Yeah, maybe a backbone for you, or a life should you find one lying around.”
    I try adopting a stern stance but the inebriate that I am has tipped my equilibrium, so my only expression is a scowl.
    “You exhaust me,” I grumble.
    Sofie yelps, and I walk away.

Chapter Six
    The kitchen floor is sticky under my feet which makes me nervous. I don’t understand the concept of wood flooring in a high traffic area of a house. It’s warm and attractive but tiling makes more sense to me. What if we ruin it? What if the owners don’t find the wood in the same condition it was prior to our rental? I have an incessant urge to start washing things. There are clutters of bottles and trays on the black granite of the white kitchen. I scan the small corner shelves over the sink and locate my phone. A slender, wooden boat contains the ashy ruins of expired incense. Sofie thinks it clears the air of bad karma and negativity. Personally, I light them for fragrance.
    I find one missed text from Ryan:
    I’m a horrible person. I’m a horrible, terrible, awful person. I inhaled every whiff I could get of a British guy while my hard working, overzealous boyfriend was missing me back home. I’m utterly deplorable.
    I’m lucky I met someone like Ryan. He’s flattering and affectionate and incredibly kind and attractive. I love that he’s ambitious and stays objective. He’s a clear-thinker, and

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