Meant for Me | ✔️

10) a dead end

Make sure you've read chapter 9 first.

ONE    AND    A    HALF    YEARS      EARLIER

A D D I E

December 2017

'I used to feel like I was on the top of the world. Then one day, I noticed that it felt like I was no longer on the top of the world. I was just floating around inside of it. And then eventually, it felt like the world was on top of me. . .'

"Addie!"

My head snapped up from a Christmas gift. A book to be exact. Without Merit by Colleen Hoover. Christmas was two days ago and I had finally found a moment to sit down and start on a new title. So far, this one had me all over the place. There was so much emotion. It was the sort of book that sucked me in and switched off my hearing until I was being shouted at.

"Yeah?"

Margo stood in front of the armchair while she slipped her hoop earrings in. Her dress was fitted, stretched down to her calf and paired with a little leather jacket, it was the perfect look for a date. I wasn't sure which number date this was but she'd been seeing this Jacob dude for about two months.

"Get up," she said, resting her hands on her hips. "You're coming with me. Jacob is bringing a friend and I swear, he's cute."

"How old is he?"

She shrugged. "No idea. Why?"

"Uh because Jacob is in his forties. So how old is his friend?"

"Oh," she laughed and gave me a slap on the leg. "Not as old as Jacob. They work together. But who cares. Older men are so much better. More mature. More experienced. You would suit an older man."

"If he's older than thirty five, I'm not interested."

"Bit snobbish. RDJ is fifty four."

I bit down on a guilt ridden grin.

"You would go there. You've said so."

"Yeah but that's different. He's gorgeous."

She rolled her eyes and even I knew that was a ridiculous argument. She lifted one foot at a time, balancing while she slid her platforms on. The heel was sharp and tall. The other end of the shoe was thick and gave her another three inches of height. As she walked into the kitchen, I watched the amount of grace that she carried herself with. There wasn't a tremor in her balance or the slightest hint at a rolled ankle. She didn't look like a deer on ice, but rather a swan on the water.

I could wear heels no problem. I was just certain that I didn't look as elegant as she did when I walked.

"Addie, we're going on a double date," she called over her shoulder. "You either get dolled up now or I'm dragging you out of the house in that flannel shirt. Which looks super cute but still. I'm pulling rank. Get up."

"It's just unfortunate that I'm in a long term relationship. Otherwise, I'd love to go on a double date."

"The couch doesn't count as a long term relationship."

I sighed and stood up, dragging my feet as I walked into the kitchen. Margo was strutting around the kitchen, watering the plants on the sills and side tables. "I'm doing your job," she said, pointing at fern in a white ceramic pot with geometric designs. "As a favour. Now you do one for me and come on this double date. You'll like Brad, I promise."

"His name is Brad? Nope. I'm already uninterested."

She inhaled a deep breath and pointed at the corridor. "Get dressed."