Through the Dark

Chapter 6: Soulmates and shots

So, after a long day of staring at books and wondering why the universe clearly hates me, I decided it was time to close up the office and give myself a damn break. I needed a drink. Like, a real one. The kind that doesn't come in a fancy coffee cup with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top.

I marched straight to the nearest pub, because when you live in London and you've had enough of dealing with people's love lives, there's only one thing left to do: drink your feelings away in a dimly lit pub full of people who definitely need soulmates but aren't getting any anytime soon.

I opened the door, and—surprise—there they were. A whole room of losers. No, seriously, the place was filled with guys and girls in their late twenties to early thirties, nursing their beers and pretending to be okay while clearly all hoping that some magical soulmate would just waltz in and make everything better. Spoiler: that's not how it works, you idiots.

I grabbed a stool at the bar, ordered a whiskey, and leaned back, trying to forget about the soul-crushing weirdness that had invaded my life. You know, the tall, blonde Disney prince who somehow didn't have a soulmate. Like, seriously, what the hell was that about?

I was halfway through my second drink when I heard a familiar voice that I really didn't want to hear. You know, the kind of voice that makes your heart drop into your stomach and your brain start firing off a million unnecessary thoughts.

"You're not drinking away your feelings, are you?"

I froze, my glass halfway to my lips. I looked up, and there he was—tall, blonde, and looking like he just stepped out of a damn fairy tale. Yeah, that's right. The guy from earlier. The one who had no soulmate.

What the hell was he doing here?

I glanced over at him, not even bothering to mask my irritation. "What the hell are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be out there, making the world fall in love with you or something?"

He chuckled, clearly unfazed by my charm—or lack thereof. "I could ask you the same thing."

"Me?" I raised an eyebrow, taking another sip of my whiskey. "I'm here because I've got a job that involves my attention while I sit here, drinking my life away, and wondering why the universe don't like me. You—well, I don't know what your deal is, but judging by your perfect jawline and princely features, I'm guessing you should be out there spreading joy and romance like a fucking Cupid."

He looked a little taken aback, but honestly, I didn't give a damn. Not when he was standing there, looking like he had everything going for him and still didn't have a soulmate. What kind of twisted mess is that?

"Charming," he said dryly. "You know, not everyone needs a soulmate."

"Ha! Well, clearly, you don't," I shot back. "Congratulations on that, by the way. I've been doing this gig for long enough to know when the universe is screwing someone over. But here you are, with your nice little 'no soulmate' situation. Just like me. Honestly, it's almost impressive how fucked up this is."

He gave me a half-smile, as though he wasn't entirely sure how to respond to my sarcasm. "Maybe it's not such a bad thing. Maybe it's freeing, not being tied down to someone."

"Sure, if you like dying alone with a bunch of cats as your only friends," I said, rolling my eyes and throwing back the rest of my drink. "Sounds like a great time."

He laughed, but there was something about it that made me wonder if he was just as messed up as I was about the whole soulmate thing. "You really don't hold back, do you?"

I gave him a look, half-smiling. "Nah. What's the point? I've spent too long pretending that the world gives a damn about what I think. So, here I am, talking to some guy with perfect everything and no soulmate. If that's not ironic, I don't know what is."

He took a step closer, and for a moment, I almost thought he was going to say something deep and profound. But nope. "Well, for what it's worth, I'm not the only one."

I stared at him for a beat, trying to figure out what the hell he meant. "What? You mean there's more of you? Great. The universe is just piling on the disappointment."

"No," he said, shaking his head. "I mean... I'm not the only one who's soulmate-less."

My stomach twisted slightly. There was something in his tone—something that suggested he wasn't just talking about some random, throwaway comment. But before I could ask more, he raised a hand.

"Anyway, you're not the only one with a complicated situation. But you do seem like you could use another drink. Can I get you one?" he offered.

I narrowed my eyes. "You buying me a drink? What, do you think I'll just forget you're a freaking soulmate-less anomaly because you're offering me a free drink?"

"Maybe," he said with a grin. "But I wouldn't blame you if you did."

I snorted, setting my empty glass down. "Nice try, prince charming, but you're not my type. Plus, I've had enough of people who can't figure out why the universe is trying to ruin their life. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt."

With that, I turned away, hoping to enjoy what little peace and quiet I could find in this godforsaken pub. But of course, I couldn't shake the feeling that this guy—this perfect, soulmate-less guy—was going to keep popping up in my life, whether I liked it or not. And frankly, I wasn't sure if I was ready for that.