The Invitation by Adriana Locke

Georgia

I curl up on a chair in Ripley’s living room with Waffles on my lap. The T-shirt I found in Ripley’s closet swamps me, since I don’t know where most of my clothes from last night wound up, but I couldn’t risk coming downstairs naked.

Does he have visitors that barge in? One of his brothers? A housekeeper? Cameras?

I have no idea.

The sun peeks up over the horizon, splattering the sky with the softest, prettiest oranges and pinks. It’s a beautiful sunrise after an amazing night.

So why did I wake up feeling nervous?

Because it’s going too well.

Detaching myself from Ripley was hard, but being alone with my thoughts was harder. I’m my own worst enemy sometimes, as ironic as that is. My fear is my problem, and he certainly hasn’t given me a reason to question him since our soul-baring conversation where we shared our truths.

Still, fear is real, and my insecurities don’t help anything.

I turn on my phone camera and look at myself. My lips are swollen, my eyes are tired, and my hair a mess. I look like I’ve been fucked. But I need to record a confessional because I didn’t do it after our filming session last night—a date consisting of playing with Waffles.

I actually think the footage might be the best we’ve done yet.

“Waffles, buddy, I wish I had a filter because I look like shit.”

He doesn’t even open his eyes.

“Typical man.”

I take a deep breath and hope I remember the kind of questions Myla wants us to answer. Then I open the video app and press record.

“Hey,” I say softly, holding the phone up to get my best angle. “It’s morning. I wound up staying overnight last night. I know, I know. Don’t judge me. He can be very persuasive.”

I scratch Waffles’s head just behind his ears.

“This was a curveball that I didn’t see coming,” I admit. “Things have been obviously going well between us, but I’m not the kind of girl who stays all night with a guy this quickly.” I chuckle. “That’s what all the girls say, though, right?”

I blow out a breath, knowing Myla can edit my blips out. Thank God.

“Do you know what the most surprising thing about this whole process is? It’s realizing what your insecurities really are. I’ve met this guy and he’s absolutely amazing. He hasn’t given me a reason to think that his intentions aren’t true. Yet here I sit this morning while he’s in bed, wondering if this is realistic. Like, is this one of those things that’s great right now but I’m goofy to think it’ll really pan out?”

Waffles snores, making me grin.

“That’s really unfair, you know? To both Ripley and to me. But how do you have the courage to hope for things? Hell, I barely hope for clean socks in the mornings. Hoping that a love connection might be real? Terrifying.”

I gaze out the window, taking in the beauty of Mother Nature.

“I guess that’s all for me this morning.”

I turn the camera off and go back to bed.