Just Like Fate Read Online Free Page B

farther down the hall and I try to interrupt again, this time earning a glare from the girlfriend. I’ve
started to wonder if I’ll be stuck in the breezy entryway for the
rest of my life when I feel someone push in behind me.
“Excuse you,” I say, holding up a palm to stop from being
flattened between the door and the wall. The pusher—a
blond, blue-eyed typical college random—looks at me in surprised amusement.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there,” he says, too earnest
to be serious. “It’s just that sometimes I don’t know my own
superhuman strength.” Just to prove it, he pretends to crash
through the door—mouthing explosions and slow-motion
roars—before shutting it gently behind him.
I can’t help it; I laugh. “Forgiven,” I say. “But they might
be your kryptonite.” I motion to the couple, who have now
reached complete breakdown status. “Good luck getting past
them. They’re like the bouncers from hell.” The guy glances
at them, sizing up the situation before taking a spot against the
closed door next to me.
“This might take a while,” he says. “From what I hear,
Jared there is still into his ex. Gertrude isn’t pleased.”
“You know them?” I ask.
He meets my eyes. “Uh, no. Do you know any Gertrudes?
It’s a fairly uncommon name. Wait, that’s not your name, is
it?”
I move closer to the wall, putting a little more space
between me and Mr. Hilarious. “I think you’re just trying to
find out my name,” I say.
“Busted. Well?”
The couple in front of us finally stops talking and instead
embraces in what can only be described as a make-up hug,
one with roaming hands and whispers. I start to worry that I’ll
somehow get sucked into their vortex of drama when my new
friend murmurs next to me.
“Looks like Gerdy forgives him. It’s sweet really. Such a
bright future, those two.”
“Yeah, well. I don’t think she’ll be as sweet to his ex,
Belinda. After all, they used to be best friends.”
The guy beams. “Belinda was a really good choice.”
I laugh and then move ahead, finally getting past the couple as their make up turns make out. I’m scanning the room
for Simone when the guy touches my shoulder.
“Do you need help finding someone?” he asks. “I know
most of the girls here.”
“Is that so?” I smile, lifting my eyebrow.
“Oh . . . no,” he says quickly. “I don’t mean I know them know them. . . . Well, maybe some of them . . .” When I playfully cross my arms over my chest as if waiting for him to go
on, he tosses back his head and laughs. “Wow, my attempts at
flirtation are going really well, don’t you think? Wonder if I
can make it any worse.”
“I have faith in you.”
He bites his lip, looking both embarrassed and exhilarated by our little exchange. I take the moment to check him
out, noting that with his stupidly adorable smile, he probably
has no problem meeting girls at parties.
“Chris!” someone yells to him from across the room. The
guy lifts his chin in acknowledgment, but then turns like he’s
about to ask me something. Before he can, Simone appears
out of nowhere and pulls me away.
“He’s in the backyard,” she says impatiently, not noticing the handsome blond who was about to . . . well, I don’t
know what he was about to do. But it must not have been that
important because when I turn back to look, he’s gone.
“Who’s in the yard?” I ask, following behind Simone like
a puppy dog. She turns abruptly.
“Joel,” she says. “He’s in the backyard—without Lauren.
Are you going to talk to him or secretly pine away for the rest
of your life? This isn’t Pride and Prejudice , Kiera Knightley.”
“You know that was a book before it was a movie, right?”
Simone rolls her eyes. “Of course I know that. But it
doesn’t change the fact that the movie was ten times better.
Now let’s not leave poor Joel defenseless in a party full of
Felicitys.”
The full impact of her