You Deserve Each Other

by Sarah Hogle

perhaps I would be nodding and agreeing with Nicholas, smiling brightly, rather than drumming up one of my favorite daydreams to focus on when I don’t want to live in reality.

Oof

This is happening with snowballing regularity. Just when I think the odd feeling’s gone and I’m complacent again, all feelings of dissatisfaction suppressed, the pendulum swings back at me.

Oof. Fire

“My life is here. I’m not moving to Tenmouth and giving up my life for you to serve grilled cheese to truckers, Naomi.”

Hes horrible like how does he come back from all this

I snap a picture of him with his back turned to me and post it to my Instagram with a rosy filter. I caption it with three hearts and Game night with my love! No better way to cap off an awesome day, and there’s no one else I’d rather spend it with. xoxo. #LivinTheLife #MarryingMyBestFriend #TrueLovesKissFromARose

Ugh BARF

Deborah will revert back to nagging him to procreate using the frozen, ten-year-old eggs of her friend from tennis, Abigail, who died a year ago and for whatever ungodly reason left her eggs to the Rose family. Heather, Nicholas’s sister, is to be the incubator for this abomination of a child.

What the actual fuck lmao thats crazy

and if I run now I’m going to look like a fraud.

Sis you are a fraud

“You pick.” “Chicken tacos.” “I was thinking stir-fry,” he replies, and I know it’s utterly unfair but my ten percent drops to nine.

Okay but real. Hes a little bitch

When you build a life with someone, so many of your building blocks prop up your partner, and you’re propped up by theirs, until your foundations merge and walking away risks destabilization for you both.

Oof

I troop into the bathroom with a pair of scissors, pull down a hank of hair over my forehead, and snip it off before I can lose my nerve. The eyes in my reflection are wide and maniacal and I love it. I love the Naomi who can do things like this and not give a shit. Nicholas doesn’t like bangs? Fantastic. I don’t like Nicholas. I notice my new bangs are slightly crooked, so I snip them to even them out. I end up overcorrecting so I have to snip again, and what I’m left with is not at all like Brandy’s cute hairstyle. I’m left with a sight that makes me mutter, “Ah, fudge.”

I might need to give this book 5 stars just for this

I troop into the bathroom with a pair of scissors, pull down a hank of hair over my forehead, and snip it off before I can lose my nerve. The eyes in my reflection are wide and maniacal and I love it. I love the Naomi who can do things like this and not give a shit. Nicholas doesn’t like bangs? Fantastic. I don’t like Nicholas. I notice my new bangs are slightly crooked, so I snip them to even them out. I end up overcorrecting so I have to snip again, and what I’m left with is not at all like Brandy’s cute hairstyle. I’m left with a sight that makes me mutter, “Ah, fudge.”

HAHAHAHAH

“I’m surprised an urn this lovely isn’t already occupied,” I say as if I didn’t hear her. “Although I suppose one day it will be.” I give Deborah a contemplating look, up and down slowly from the top of her head to the tips of her pristine white shoes.

HAHAHAHA

But when we’re alone for a minute, the smiles fade away and he mutters in my ear, “Why don’t you ever have my back? You always abandon me.” “You always abandon me first,” I hiss.

I actually hate him so much. He literally just insulted her with his mom he can fuck a tree

I don’t like you again yet. But I’m going to. And you’re going to like me again, too. This house is going to save us.”

This is....

Copper pots and pans and watering cans dangle from them like wind chimes. Green explosions of ivy burst from planters.

Is there actually tho... Im confused

“You wanna give me some space?” “Well, you’re not saying anything.” “I’m talking to myself right now. Give us a minute.”

Shes so done with his ass lmao

There are three bedrooms upstairs, largely the same in size and layout. Plain walls, wood floors. The center one’s half a foot narrower than the other two, and a lightbulb goes off in my brain before I can smash it: Nursery. I’ll never forgive myself for the thought.

Girl... I wish the dramatic crying emoji was on here lmao

He sighs through his nose, a trait he picked up from Harold. I used to think all of his little mannerisms were cute until I saw the broader template they were cut and pasted from.

BRUTALLLLLLL lmaooooo

I’d rather work at one of the brothels your dad used to go to before your mom melted his brain with Dr. Oz supplements.” It’s a kill shot, but he raises a laugh like a shield and my blow glances right off. “Am I supposed to be shocked? I’ve known about that for years.”

Jesus CHRIIIIIST theyre both insane!!!

Perfect. Thank you, Nicholas, you’re such a dove. “You think I need makeup, then?” “That’s not what I said.”

LMAOOOO i cant

Nicholas swallows. “I kind of hoped we’d be like partners in crime, sort of. When Mom’s trying to sink her claws into me and I can’t get away on my own, you’d have my back. The two of us, a team.” “I wanted that, too,” I manage quietly. Past tense. “I didn’t know you did. I’ve felt second place for a long time.” “I never wanted you to feel like that. But . . . you didn’t step up. You didn’t become my partner. You left me to fend for myself.”

This is what i was afraid of... He wanted her to help him stand up to her

He checks the microwave clock. “There’s still time for you to run to the gas station for frozen pizza.” He hands me his keys. “I’m all pizza’d out.” I hand the keys back. “When you go get us some burritos, I want the chicken and cheese, not beef and cheese.”

Period! Motherfucker making her run around uhuh

He’d posted a picture of me while I was passed out on the couch. It’s brutally zoomed in so that you can count my every pore, and I do not look remotely cute. I’ve got a six-inch string of drool dribbling out of my open mouth, glistening in the half light. He uploaded the shot in black and white and captioned it with three hearts and Aren’t I lucky? I get to gaze upon this absolute work of art every single day. #LivinTheLife #MarryingMyBestFriend #TrueLovesKissFromARose

Okay no man posts on insta like this... And boy is he being obvious

No matter how much this bugs him, he won’t invade my privacy.

He stapled all your underwear to the ceiling...

Their driveway is personally cruel to me right away, a crust of ice eating one of my shovels. I dig back in, nose dripping like a faucet, face a frozen block of “Why, god, why” while the rest of my body melts like a candle in these coveralls. This is the pits. This is some goddamn bullshit. I

See im not falling for this propoganda.. Now shell get sick... Fuck that if nicholas wants to go but the parents would just have to go without

I think of a man in a back room somewhere, eating a sub sandwich and watching me on a tiny television screen. Isn’t she one of the applicants? Wow, isn’t this sad. Coming in here to beg for the job, I bet.

SHes kinda real for this but also she needs to calm tf down

“You two are assholes!” she calls back. “You deserve each other.” I send her a thumbs-up. “Thanks!”

AAAHHHH THEY DID IT HAA

and I wait until the day’s almost over to reply because I want it to seem like I had better things to do all day than count how many happy birthdays I got. I

Do guys really do this?

It’s the wedding invitations. He’s thrown them all away.

I can see where this is going... Girl...

I snort. “Your aim’s even worse than mine.” “Your face is worse,” he mutters, to which I have to laugh.

what...

she definitely will when she hears we’re combining our surnames to create a brand-new one unique to us. Rosefield.

This made me laugh out loud WHAT this is an option?

Coveralls. I pick them up and shake them out. They’re mine, the smaller of the pair. They’re practical and they’re not much to look at, but if you’re going to be standing outside in seventeen-degree weather reciting your vows, layers aren’t a bad idea.

Idk if ill be able to handle seeing this as a movie scene