It's a Match!

by Zoë Marshall

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  About Zoë

  © 2015 Zoë Marshall.

  Cover, title design, and interior design by larks & katydids.

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual people or places is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, in any form, by any means electronic or mechanical, including but not limited to photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system currently in use or yet to be devised.

  To Colin, for hanging out with me in the movie theater while I fooled around on my newest dating app (when this idea was first born).

  To my very dearest friends, Molly, Ross, Joel, Shannon, Logan, and Brandon for supporting me and my many mini meltdowns throughout this process.

  To Tammi Labrecque, an inspiration and a friend, without whom my brain would explode multiple times daily.

  To my forever soulmate Alicia, for being the only person on this planet who has seen me at my best and very worst, yet seems to love me anyway.

  And, as always, to my family (Claire and Terry included, of course), who I would be lost without.

  Lastly, because of you (who shall remain nameless), I will always remember … there is no sadness, only flip flops.

  SUTTON MEYERS COULDN’T help thinking that if Aiden were there, he would have blown the evil eight-legged creature to smithereens. But, of course, she couldn’t call Aiden anymore. There had been a time when Sutton could have told him about this heinous monstrosity and he would have been over there in minutes to protect her from the demonic creature, but that time was gone.

  Sutton’s attempts at intimidating the spider were apparently futile. She knew if she attempted to kill it while it was on the ceiling, it would most likely fall on her, then her heart would stop beating completely. She waved a towel in its general direction several times, in an attempt to get it onto the wall where it would be easier to extinguish. And the damn thing inched closer to her every time. Now it was directly over her bed and she wouldn’t take her eyes off it for a second. What kind of monster needs EIGHT eyes? she thought. Loathsome creatures.

  Sutton had only dated her ex-boyfriend, Aiden Jennings, for three months, but he’d left a mark on her in a way that no one else ever had. Now he was a distant memory, though not as distant as she would like. He appeared to be completely over it, almost instantly. Had he ever really cared about her at all, or was it all a lie…? The beginning was intoxicating. It was perhaps the happiest time of her life…

  Sutton watched Aiden get into his car and blow her a kiss. They were one week into their whirlwind relationship and things were as close to perfect as it got. A few moments after Aiden pulled away, Sutton received a text:

  I miss you already.

  Sutton smiled ear-to-ear as she responded:

  I miss you too. This is crazy.

  I know. I’ve never felt anything like it.

  I’m so in like with you.

  I’m in like with you too. Xoxo.

  Xoxo. I’ll see you in a few hours babe. I can’t wait.

  It’s going to be a rough few hours!

  Sutton’s smile widened as she walked into her house. This was unlike anything she had ever felt. It was an all-encompassing happiness. She wanted to spend every waking moment with him, but knew she needed to try to suppress letting that urge control her. She felt safe with Aiden. If anything, he seemed more into it than her, and that was saying a lot. She felt it in every look, every word, every touch, every kiss. She knew he felt as strongly as her and she couldn’t believe how lucky she was.

  Sutton remained firmly planted in her desk chair, glaring at the spider, which was lounging around all smug, like it owned the damn place. She couldn’t divert her gaze for even a moment, because if it disappeared, she knew would never step foot in her room again.

  She needed to get out.

  She needed to eliminate the threat.

  Sutton kept her eyes on the spider as she tiptoed over to her closet. Must not make any sudden movements…. She grabbed the first shoe she could find, a sandal her cold and not-so-distant ex gave her. Fitting. Her heart began racing as she approached the bed, the sandal shaking in her trembling hand. The spider began to move again and she held back an intense urge to vomit. Come on, Sutton, she thought. This is pathetic. If Aiden were here, you’d never hear the end of it. But he’s not. He’s not here. Damn him.

  Sutton felt an ache in her stomach as she realized Aiden would never be there again. What once was her entire world had burnt to ash. And it had all begun the second she’d received that text….

  It had been a month and things were still going strong between Sutton and Aiden. Though not as ooey-gooey as it was in the beginning, it was still exciting. And she still loved nothing more than having him by her side.

  Sutton poured some Corn Flakes into a bowl as she checked an incoming text. She smiled when she saw Aiden’s name pop up.

  We need to talk.

  About what, babe?

  This is going a little fast.

  Sutton’s heart sank and she felt sick, her head suddenly spinning. She didn’t respond. She had no idea what to say. A minute later, she received another text:

  I still want to be with you. I just … need us to take a few steps back.

  Sutton was searching for the words to say, then she realized what she really needed to ask. Her hands were trembling as she typed.

  Is there someone else?

  Of course not. I just don’t want to rush this. And it’s getting really intense.

  I understand.

  But Sutton didn’t understand. This was coming out of nowhere. What had she done wrong? There had to be something….

  Sutton slowly got up on the bed and approached the demon. She stood frozen for something similar to eternity as she contemplated the best angle to approach it from. Then she quickly got down from the bed, tossed the sandal and grabbed the first shirt she found on the floor, her old Best Buy Mobile shirt, from her first job two years ago. Before she had time to talk herself out of it, she was back on the bed and smooshing the creature with the shirt. She did that for a good minute, to ensure its complete demise. Then she rolled the shirt into a ball and stuffed it in the trashcan by her desk, as it had become a spider graveyard and she refused to ever wear it again. It wasn’t like she could put it in the washing machine—then there would be spider guts on everything she washed from that point on. There wasn’t a washing machine strong enough to wipe away the terror. And it wasn’t like she really planned to wear it again anyway.

  But Sutton could at least breathe again, though her heart was still pounding rapidly. If she was strong enough to kill a spider, surely she’d be strong enough to get over Aiden … right? The day he’d ended things was the most painful day of her life….

  Two more months had passed and, though Sutton wanted nothing more tha
n to grow closer to Aiden, they only grew further apart with every passing day. They didn’t laugh together like they used to. They didn’t even hold hands anymore. A part of her knew they were over, but she was far too afraid to admit it.

  Sutton was at the coffee shop near her house grabbing a latte. The nannies had gone to Starbucks that morning and tried to bring Sutton her normal coffee order, but she wanted to get out of the house. And for once she wanted to support a local coffee shop.

  Sutton tapped her fingers nervously on the counter by the barista station. She was mesmerized watching them work. They didn’t use buttons for everything like they did at big coffee shops. They even hand packed the portafilter. They put so much care into it all. She felt a pain in her stomach, as she inevitably followed that thought with, The way Aiden used to put so much care into me….

  “I have a medium Graham Cracker Latte with an add shot for Sutton,” the young, heavily pierced and tattooed barista announced.

  Sutton smiled as she picked up the coffee and said, “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. Enjoy the rest of your day.”

  Sutton observed the barista once more as he began to work on the next order. He was beaming, taking so much pride in his craft. He wore a black beanie with shoulder-length hair pulled into a low ponytail and, though he was smiling widely and whistling happily, she could see a hint of sadness in his tired-looking eyes. Sutton was more observant than most. It was the writer in her. She was always trying to gather ideas. And she prided herself in being able to read people.

  Sutton finally turned away and took a seat at an empty table by the window. She pulled out her phone as she blew on her coffee through the small hole in the lid. She had received a text from Aiden:

  Hey, what are you up to?

  Just drinking some coffee. You?

  I’m about to head to the gym. I thought we could meet up and talk in a couple of hours.

  I’m hanging out with Cole in a bit, but I could meet up later tonight.

  Don’t worry about it. Go have fun. We’ll talk another time.

  But Sutton didn’t want to talk another time. She knew exactly what storm was about to hit and she wanted to delay it as long as possible. She stared at her phone for a minute or so, her mind becoming blank. Then he texted again:

  Actually, we don’t really need to meet up. I just wanted to tell you I think this isn’t really working anymore.

  Sutton placed her phone on the table and held back the tears yearning to escape. Though she knew it was coming, and had for a while, she was sickened by the fact that he was so cold that he would end it over a text message.

  Sutton decided then and there that she would never text Aiden again….

  What Sutton really should have been doing was packing. In three days, she was heading off to Hardman University in Badger, Colorado. She had received a full scholarship for writing, which would come in handy seeing as her parents had locked her out of her hefty trust fund, since she wasn’t following in her father’s footsteps by going to Harvard and studying law. Her passion was writing, and she wasn’t willing to sacrifice that to please her impossible-to-please parents. For as long as she could remember, her parents had been overbearing and controlling, while they worshipped her younger brother, Grant, for being a complete suck-up. He would have done anything to ensure his share of the family fortune.

  Sutton unplugged her phone from the charger to call Cole. Cole Hansen was Sutton’s best friend. They’d met freshman year of high school at the bleachers by the football field, where Cole was trying out for the varsity team…

  Sutton was finishing up cheerleading tryouts when she saw the herd of fame-hungry freshman boys rushing excitedly toward the field. Jefferson High was the school to attend if you were interested in sports – volleyball, football, soccer, you name it. They had numerous ex-pro athletes coaching and it was a big college scout destination.

  Sutton was standing by the cooler chugging some water when Cole walked up to her and said, “I’m thirsty.”

  Sutton attempted to mask her mildly sarcastic streak, to no avail. “Hi, Thirsty, I’m Sutton.”

  Cole nodded his head as he smirked a bit. “Pleasure to meet you, Sutton. I’m Cole.”

  Sutton observed Cole for a moment. He was a quirky type of handsome. At 6’3”, he towered above most, and had a fairly muscular build for someone of that height. His medium-length, shiny brown hair was parted on the left and combed carefully in the other direction, with short sideburns next to his nicely shaped and somewhat rounded ears. His eyebrows were thin and straight, with his small brown eyes directly below, which were illuminated with a hint of hazel. He was wearing a somewhat worn out pair of dark Levi’s jeans and a soft, forest green v-neck shirt. Sutton had a feeling they would turn out to be great friends.

  She was right.

  The phone rang a couple of times before Cole picked up.

  “Hey, Sutt.”

  “Hey, C. Whatcha up to?”

  “Watching Season Two of Archer. I live an exciting life.”

  Sutton shuddered as she heard the word Archer. She and Aiden had marathoned the television show religiously. They’d even had plans to go to Comic-Con dressed as Archer and Katya, but they’d broken up before they had the chance. Cole must have forgotten that, or else he wouldn’t have mentioned it.

  Sutton shook it off. “Sounds like it. Are you all packed?”

  “I’m a guy. We don’t pack. Plus, I still have a few days,” Cole said, with a laugh. “Are you packed?”

  “Umm … not entirely. Let’s go see a movie.”

  “Avoiding packing, I see. Yes, let’s do that. What about Flesh Wars?” Cole asked.

  “Okay. I could use a zombie distraction.”

  “Let me look up some movie times and give you a call back.”

  “K. Talk to you soon.”

  “See ya,” Cole replied.

  Sutton hung up the phone and looked around her gigantic room. What was she going to do with all of this stuff? Surely her parents would get rid of anything she left behind the minute she backed out of the driveway. They would probably turn her room into a gym or something. Not that they really needed to use her room, seeing as they already had tons of other rooms they didn’t even use.

  Sutton jumped when she heard her mother’s dainty knock on the door. She took a deep breath, which she always felt the need to do right before any interaction with her mother. She opened the door to find her mother dressed in a light pink tennis outfit and matching shoes with seemingly brand new white laces. Sutton’s mother, Justine Meyers, was the typical trophy wife, and a whopping twelve years younger than Sutton’s father. She looked like she’d crawled out of a Playboy/JCrew-hybrid magazine, and had had an obscene amount of plastic surgery done over the years: boob job of course, plenty of liposuction in various places, the occasional face lift, and collagen injections in her lips. She was pretty much allergic to wearing the same thing twice, and they could afford to buy never-ending amounts of clothes, so she threw away—not to be confused with ‘gave away’—mostly anything she’d already worn once or twice. Her all-too-tightly-pulled-together skin was golden from her many trips to the tanning salon, and her strict nail grooming routine was fairly impressive (Justine had arranged to have a nail lady come by the house every week to redo them). Some people would probably have envied her Barbie-like perfection, if they weren’t too busy pitying her for the need to try so ridiculously hard.

  Justine had a very impatient look on her face as she nosily peeked around the room. “Sutton, this room is a disaster.”

  “I’m packing, Mother. Which, if I remember correctly, was what you and Father told me to do not even an hour ago,” Sutton replied sarcastically. She often referred to her parents as ‘Mother’ and ‘Father’ to piss them off, though sometimes she wondered if they would actually prefer that to being called ‘Mom’ and ‘Dad’, like commoners.

  “No need to get snappy, young lady.” Justine crossed her arms in annoyanc
e.

  “Are you here for something in particular, or did you just come to hassle me about my room?” Sutton asked impatiently.

  To say the relationship between Sutton and Justine was rocky would be an understatement. They were on completely different ends of the spectrum. Justine was incredibly superficial, and Sutton couldn’t care less about material possessions. Justine had probably never read a book in her life, and Sutton had read thousands.

  “Tone, Sutton.”

  Sutton was silent, awaiting a response to her question, playing a little game with herself, wondering when Justine would cave and continue.

  The game was over quickly.

  “Your father and I need to speak with you before you head out later. I assume you’re going to meet up with that Cole character?” The way Justine pronounced his name thoroughly annoyed Sutton, and Justine knew it. She had always looked down on Cole and his father, seeing as they were from the ‘wrong side of the tracks,’ which really just meant that they didn’t have much money, ever since Cole’s mom cheated on his dad and left them back when Cole was eleven years old. They had been struggling ever since. Obviously Sutton never judged Cole or his father for it, but Sutton just wasn’t a judgmental person to begin with. And Cole meant more to her than both her parents combined.