The Exception to the Rule

by Christina Lauren

Chapter Eleven FEBRUARY 14, 2024 From: t.sol18@email.com To: c.sun16@email.com Date: February 14, 2024 Subject: Happy Valentine’s Day! HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY, FAVORITE From: c.sun16@email.com To: t.sol18@email.com Date: February 14, 2024 Subject: Re: Happy Valentine’s Day! Hey! Happy Valentine’s Day. What are you up to? From: t.sol18@email.com To: c.sun16@email.com Date: February 14, 2024 Subject: Re: Happy Valentine’s Day! My roommate and friend are dragging me to a party. I broke up with the bf a couple weeks ago, and there’s a non-Valentine’s thing at the house of a friend of a friend or something—honestly, I don’t even know. I’m just preemptively annoyed because I’m sure there won’t be soup dumplings there. From: c.sun16@email.com To: t.sol18@email.com Date: February 14, 2024 Subject: Re: Happy Valentine’s Day! Oh, wow, I’m sorry about the bf. I hope you’re okay. From: t.sol18@email.com To: c.sun16@email.com Date: February 14, 2024 Subject: Re: Happy Valentine’s Day! Oh, no, I am totally okay. I ended things. He’d gotten clingy and weird, and you know how grad school is. There isn’t time for clingy and weird. How are you? From: c.sun16@email.com To: t.sol18@email.com Date: February 14, 2024 Subject: Re: Happy Valentine’s Day! OK cool, so then is it too soon to ask you out next time we’re both back in Irvine? And I’m good. Busy. Hoping to wrap up things and do the dissertation defense in the fall. I’ll be in Irvine for a week in June but can also come back when you’re in...

FINALLY!