Fated to Fall for You (Completed)

Chapter Two: Wildest Dreams

I somehow managed to get through dinner in a blur. Val tried to distract me by bringing up other things - like her new work crush, some cute IT guy that just started last month. But it just didn't work.

I got back to my apartment and unlocked the door. I felt my phone vibrate and I pulled it out of my purse to see Val's concerned text.

Val: [You made it home ok?]

I stepped inside my apartment and took my shoes off, then set my purse down at my kitchen counter, before stepping back to the doorway to lock up.

Elodie: [Yeah, just got back.]

Val: [You sure you're ok? :( ]

I tossed my phone on my bed, then pulled my navy button-up shirt and short PJ set out of my dresser to change into. I kneeled down on my bed to pick up my phone.

Elodie: [I think I will be.]

I sat down on my bed, looking at my screen and opening a new search browser on my phone.

Val: [Ok. I'll bring coffee to your office tomorrow :) ]

I snickered to myself, closing the browser quickly.

Elodie: [You don't have to!]

Val: [Too bad! :P]

Val: [Get some sleep girl, I'm sure we'll be in for a rough day tomorrow...]

Elodie: [Will do.]

I set my phone down again and went to the bathroom to finish getting ready for bed. When I came back, I dimmed the lights of my bedroom and walked over to my closet to pick out a small shoebox and brought it over to my bed. It was really silly and made me feel like a packrat to keep these things, but I just couldn't let go for some reason.

I had a friendship bracelet (that I had long outgrown) that Val and I made at summer camp. A few seashells from a trip to the beach I took with my parents before graduating high school. The first love letter I got from my freshman year boyfriend. And the parchment card from that stupid fortune teller.

I told myself every year that I'd throw it out, and it was still here. The whole encounter was just a vague memory now. All I remembered was her saying that this was the name of my soulmate.

Well, that was definitely not right.

I scooped the card out of the box, tore it in half, and finally threw it in the garbage can.

"So that's that..."

I climbed into bed and pulled the covers up, then opened a search browser again. I just couldn't shake that lingering feeling.

"Ok, Mr. Bowen... Who were you?" I asked myself as I typed his name into the search field.

I held my breath while I glimpsed into the search results about his life.

He would have been 28 this fall, making him about the same age as me. He seemed to be a bright political strategist per his colleagues. And he happened to write a few guest columns for our magazine, though I never met him or edited his work.

Just when I was starting to feel a bit guilty for hoping this man would have been nothing to feel an attraction to, I found a picture of him.