“I’ll go.” Penelope keeps her eyes on mine, but she loops her arm in his. “We need to leave now if we’re going to make it before they run out, though. Oh, and Hayden, can you shut the door all the way when you leave the house? Tim’s dog is here.”

“Will do.”

I watch from the windows as they leave and get into his truck. Once they roll out of the driveway and pass the four-way stop at the end of the street, I treat myself to a private tour of his things that are in the living room.

I remember Penelope telling me that he was building a dating app as well, but according to what she’s said, he is a bit farther along in the process than me. Where I have a team of seven, he has a team of twenty.

Flipping through his folders, I raise my eyebrow at the logo and name ideas.

Tinder as the name? A red or hot pink flame as a logo?

I open one of the mini file cabinets near the coffee table and pause. There’s a stack of papers, all dripping in code. In between the lines are the words, ‘suggested algorithms, and features.’

I know that I should let them lay as they are, but I can’t help myself.

I make copies of everything in Penelope’s library and unplug the printer. Then, just because he has the audacity to make my best friend fall for him, I knock over all of his shit before leaving.

Break Up #16.5

The One That Could Never Be

better yet …

the one that really started the cold war

* * *

 

Hayden

Back Then

The copies on my front seat are taunting me as I drive; they’re calling me a “thief.” The guilt of what I’ve done almost makes me turn around and shred everything.

Keyword: Almost.

I want to look at his work, only to see if he’s figured out something amazing for his app. If there’s anything I can learn, not steal.

Trying to silence the voices in my head, I accidentally trigger the memory of a dog barking.

Woof! Woof! Woof!

I try to think of something else, but the barks get louder. And it only takes me half a mile to realize that those sounds aren’t in my head at all.

Woof! Woof! Woof!

I pull over on the side of the road and look in the backseat.

“Woof!” Tim’s grey and black terrier stares into my eyes.

He’s sitting on the floor, and his front paw is trapped under some shipping tape.

What the hell?

I mentally rewind the past hour, wondering when and how he jumped into my car.

He barks louder and struggles to free himself.

I sigh and take my time helping him, considering the pros and cons of returning him tonight or first thing in the morning.

The cons outweigh the pros, so I scoop him up and move him to the passenger seat. Then I grab a blanket off the floor and cover him.

Pulling onto the road again, I take a detour to the closest pet store and try to pretend like I haven’t completely lost my damn mind.

One hour later

I place a bowl of water onto my kitchen floor and make sure there’s enough kibble in the new dispenser that’s next to it.

I’ll return him tomorrow, and Tim will know.

Pulling out the stolen notes, I sit down at my table and begin to read.

His idea isn’t similar to mine in the slightest, but he’s figured out the part that I’ve struggled to find: An addictive way to reject and accept matches.

Swipe right for yes. Swipe left for no.

Hmmm.

He has far more stupid ideas than good ones, though. Things like bagel meet-ups, murder mystery games, and more niche games that users can play to “score true love.”

All of that was utter garbage. But the swiping feature?

That was impressive.

Very, very impressive.

A wave of envy washes over me, nearly drowning me with every hit.

He has my Penelope.

My Penelope.

Without thinking, I pull out the ‘accept and reject’ plans for my dating app and set them next to his. Then I compare every line of code.

I brew cup after cup of coffee, comparing the best parts of his app to the places where my app is at its weakest.

I only take the swiping feature—obviously, but I vow to never admit that shit to a single soul.

By the time I finish, the sun is rising into the sky, and Tim’s dog is pawing at my leg—reminding me that I have to quietly drop him off at Penelope’s next-door neighbor’s house with an anonymous note, so that Tim will never know that I “stole” him.

Shit.

Break Up #16.5

The One That Could Never Be

better yet …

the one that really started the cold war

Hayden

Back Then

I pack my broken heart into a suitcase and head to the airport for New York.

I’m not sure how the hell Penelope finds me, why she insists on making this shit even harder since she broke my heart by falling for some other guy, but I do my best to show no emotion.

I tell her that I’ll still call.

That we’ll still be best friends, but that’s a lie.

I’m too in love with her for that to be a reality.

At first, things seem normal between us—like she doesn’t notice, because I still send her small texts here or there. But I force myself to stop after a few weeks.

Outside of a “Happy Birthday,” or a “Hope you’re well,” we rely on Travis for updates on one another.

He’s far too involved in his own career to ever notice the change.

Break Up #16.5

The One That Could Never Be

better yet …

the one that really started the cold war

Hayden

Back Then

Several months later, I sit in a bar in SoHo to watch Penelope compete in Skate America. My feelings for her have been compartmentalized, and I’ve channeled everything I once felt for her into my newly named dating app—Cinder. (Yes, I know that it’s petty to make it rhyme with Tinder, but I haven’t completely let go of my envy. Plus, it sounds better than Tinder anyway.)

Alas, almost all of my “She’s too young for you,” “It’ll never work,” “She’s your best friend’s little sister” affirmations have finally paid off. I’ve also managed to get a therapist to convince me that my emotions for Penelope were misplaced for the family I never had.

“Can you turn the TV up a bit?” I call out to the bartender as the show begins.

“As you wish.”

“Welcome back to Skate America, ladies and gentlemen!” The announcer smiles onscreen. “First up on tonight’s program is the reigning world champion in singles figure skating, Miss Penelope Carter!”

I stare at Penelope as she takes to the ice in a stunning blue costume, still feeling remnants of feelings that I swore were long gone.

I have to call her after she wins today. We need to put an end to this Cold War.