I Could Be Yours (Toronto Terror)

by Helena Hunting

My name is Essie Lovelock. I am a reformed love obsessed fairytale fanatic and I’m determined to be the best maid of honor my best friend could ever have. And I am absolutely not going to fall for the best man.

For all fairytale lovers, the lovers of love, the hopeless romantics, and the underestimated.

She’s the glorious ray of sunshine peeking through my rain clouds to create a rainbow.

I hate when she says my full name, because I love when she says my full name.

I try not to let my feelings show, but for some stupid reason, I seriously want to punch Flip in the face.

I quickly change Cotton Candy to Essie in my contacts and open her message.

Essie So you can text back. Good to know.

“Oh my sweet, sweet best friend. Tristan already asked if there’s a cucumber salad. If anyone is being kept, it’s that man.” She barks out a laugh. “He did not.”

“This is like…scientific art.”

“Who’s the hottie?” Greg asks. “Shut the fuck up, Greg. Let’s go for lunch.”

“Why the hell are we using mini cucumbers? Don’t they usually do this with a balloon or a potato or something?” The furrow is back in Nate’s brow. “You seriously don’t know?” Pretty much our entire girlfriend group has the inside scoop on this. “Obviously you do.” His gaze shifts from me to Tally, whose face is now beet red. “And you.” He looks at Flip, who seems less confused and more disturbed. “I would like to remain in the dark about this.” Flip’s eyes are anywhere but at me or Tally.

“The bears are real!” “Why are you obsessed with the fucking bears, Nate?” “I don’t fucking know!”

“God, you get under my skin.” “Good. That’s been my goal from the start.” “Mission accomplished.”

“I panicked. Nate was distracting me.” “Seems like it worked,” Mrs. Bright observes.

Our eyes lock, and then drop to each other’s mouths. I want him to break. And he does. “Fuck it.”

I wouldn’t be surprised if Tristan shot glitter out of his ass with how happy he is.

“We don’t always get to choose the emotions we feel, but we do get to choose how we allow them to rule us.”