Compared: A Sweet Romantic Comedy (The Sweet Rom"Com" Series Book 1)

324 Pages·2022·0.86 MB·english

by  Kortney Keisel

COMPARED
KORTNEY KEISEL
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used
fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Compared Copyright © 2022 by Kortney Keisel
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without written permission from the author, except for the use
of brief quotations in a book review.
First edition January 2022
Cover design by Red Leaf Book Design
www.kortneykeisel.com
To my dad.
Thank you for your never ending optimism, for always making me laugh, for teaching me how to
dance, for the silly songs you sing that will forever be in my heart, for your your famous quotes,
for your love of family, Mexican food, and tradition, and for the way you loved Mom.
I miss you every day, but I hope you and Mom are dancing in heaven.
TRIGGER WARNING
This book deals with the loss of a spouse and the loss of a parent. Strong themes of grief and
mourning are written throughout.
CONTENTS
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
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Epilogue
Meg’s Playlists
Acknowledgments
Also by Kortney Keisel
About the Author
CHAPTER 1
MEG
op quiz!
P
As a teacher, I love a good pop quiz, but as a student, they’re the worst.
Unfortunately today, I guess I’m the student, and I don’t know the answer to this question.
1. When the face of a beautiful redhead with the name Genessa comes up on your boyfriend’s
phone, what should you do?
A) Begin sobbing.
B) Overanalyze.
C) Freak out.
D) Run!
I’m going to go with a mixture of B and C.
I glance again at the vibrating phone on the coffee table. Genessa’s sapphire eyes and Disney
Princess smile make me run a hand through my hair self-consciously. I’m sure there’s a reasonable
explanation. Perhaps Zak was trying to find a Little Mermaid look-alike to be the entertainment at a
work party. Or maybe Genessa commandeered Zak’s phone and forced her digits into his address
book while holding him hostage.
Yep. Plenty of reasonable explanations. I have nothing to worry about.
“Zak!” I yell from his living room sofa. “Zak! Someone’s calling you.” He must be in the shower,
because he doesn’t answer.
The phone buzzes again.
Genessa: I can’t wait to see you tomorrow at CrossFit. Maybe after our workout we can...
I swipe up on his phone, desperate to read the rest of the text that got cut off—After CrossFit we
can WHAT?—but the screen is locked. I quickly type one, one, one, one into the phone, but the dots
dance, mocking me for assuming Zak would have such a predictable password.
I chew on my lip. Tomorrow is Saturday. I asked Zak if he wanted to go with me to Hobby Lobby
to shop for fall decor. He said he couldn’t go because he has to work. If Genessa asked him to go
somewhere, would his work schedule magically change? I push his phone away in disgust and pull
out my own phone, frantically forming a text to my siblings.