Page 49 of A Match Made In Fall

That should be dramatic enough to get a quick response from her. Elise loves to watch drama unfold.

I need to tell her that Dexter didn't stop with his phone call to her. He didn't just accept her explanation and move on. He got on a plane and came here to find out for himself. It’s been a year without a single word from him. So why now? The moment I start seeing someone else, he comes crashing back into my life. The timing couldn’t be worse.

While I wait for Elise to respond, I scroll through my contacts until I find Dexter's number.

Before I can overthink it, I press call. He answers after two rings.

“Isabella, hey.”

He sounds genuinely surprised to hear from me.

“Hi, Dexter.”

“I was actually going to text you.” His voice brightens immediately. “I wanted to see if we could meet up.”

I stare out the kitchen window, watching the morning sunlight fall across the backyard. I try to ignore the knot forming in my stomach.

“Yes,” I say quietly. “That’s why I’m calling. We need to talk.”

There’s a brief pause.

“I’m available whenever you are,” he says.

Of course he is. He came here with the intention of seeing me.

“Do you want to meet at Starbucks around eleven?” I ask. “It’s a few minutes from my parents’ house.”

“Sure.”

“Okay, I’ll see you then.”

After ending the call, I continue sipping my coffee deep in thought. For some reason, I’m nervous about talking to Dexter. One way or another this conversation needs to happen. I’m going to tell him I’ve moved on, but not because of Austin. Moving forward in my life isn’t because of anyone. When we split up the future I imagined with Dexter was gone. I closed that part of my life, and I didn’t look back. Yes, the pain was deep, but it was the right thing.

I take another sip of my coffee, taking my time before I need to get ready for the day.

On a happier note, there’s a Bears game tonight. I’ll be there with my family watching Austin and his team play. I never would’ve thought I’d be so excited to go to a hockey game.

I finish my coffee and head to the bathroom. I’m finishing my makeup when my phone starts ringing.

“Hey, I got your message,” she exclaims. “What happened with Dex?”

“Well, let’s see…” I drag out the anticipation. “He flew all the way to North Carolina and showed up at my parents’ house right as Austin and I were leaving for our first date, just the two of us.”

“Stop. I’m dying.” Her voice jumps an octave. “Are you kidding?”

“Nope.”

“Oh I have so many questions,” she says.

“Dexter brought up Austin and I being in a relationship right in front of him. And naturally I wanted to run and hide.”

“I can’t imagine.” She groans. “What did Austin do?”

A smile forms on my lips. “Believe it or not, he went along with it,” I tell her.

“Seriously?”

“Yes. He didn’t even flinch. Without missing a beat, he jumped right in like we'd rehearsed the whole scene.”