Page 23 of Unforgettable

He scrubbed a hand through his messy dirty-blond hair and shook his head. “I have an interview in less than an hour. That’s where I’m going,” he stated.

My eyebrows shot to my hairline as I glanced at his attire. He hadn’t changed before trying to run out of the door with little more than a quick “bye!” in my direction. He was still wearing jeans that I would bet hadn’t been washed in weeks, along with one of his gray high school hoodies.

“You’re going to a job interview dressed like that?” No wonder he couldn’t hold down a job if that’s the way he was showing up for work.

“It’s at an auto body shop, so what I’m wearing isn’t necessarily important.”

“An auto body shop? Which one, and how did you swing an interview there?”

He chuckled as Reed and Josh walked into the room. “You’re doing a shit job convincing me that you’re not going to turn into a mother.”

I bit back my defensive response. Adam got the better end of that deal—my parents would have rather done anything than parent me. I was well and truly an unhappy accident, but Adam wasn’t. They at least feigned interest in his life. He was lucky he didn’t have to suffer monotonous, lonely days with strict rules set by inattentive parents. “Just,” I began, backpedaling. “Are you sure you don’t want to change?”

“Yes, I’m sure. Now can I go?”

I stepped to the side, and Adam immediately swung the door open, but before he left, he kissed my cheek and gave me a soft smile. My brother had some issues, but I knew he loved me.

Once he left, I turned back around to find Reed and Josh deep into what appeared to be a hushed yet heated discussion in my kitchen. They were huddled together by the fridge, each of them with a water bottle in their hand, speaking urgently.

Neither of them looked up when I approached, and I used their oblivious state to try to eavesdrop.

“... not the right time… maybe give it a week…” was all I heard when Josh glanced over his shoulder at me.

He cleared his throat and they both straightened, trying to appear casual and failing miserably.

“Secrets, secrets are no fun…” I sang, but both of the men ignored me, sipping their water.

“Are we going to head over to Hazel and Luke’s to drop the stuff off?” Reed asked.

My eyes darted between the two of them, trying to piece together what they could have been talking about that they wouldn’t share with me.

But I would be lying to myself if I said that after the wedding, everything felt the same. I’d done my best to not think about either of them inthatway, but it was so damn hard. I had done well—or at least I thought I had—at appearing nonchalant about the whole thing and acting like I wasn’t constantly thinking about getting them both back in my bed.

But the same couldn’t be said for the two of them. I caught both of them acting cagey or giving me outwardly lingering looks. Which happened every once in a while since our one summer night together, but it was even worse and more obvious. Then the whole thing with Reed in the hallway was the icing on top.

We were all thinking about it, except I was the only one who was trying to act normal and play it off. Thankfully, each at least knew about the other, and I didn’t have that hanging over my head on top of everything else.

“Sure,” I said, deciding it wasn’t the time to raise the question of what the hell was wrong with them.

We exited the apartment in silence. We entered the truck in silence. We drove the fifteen-minute drive to Hazel and Luke’s house in near silence, save for the radio, which was turned so low that my normal breathing was louder.

And when we pulled into their driveway, we piled out of the truck like our asses were on fire.

Moving the furniture was also done mostly in silence, with only muttered phrases and quickly decided upon methods for moving the heavier pieces. When there were only a few more items left, I had had enough and found my way into the kitchen and the fridge, grabbing a beer and hopping onto the kitchen counter.

Hazel and Luke’s home was cozy and welcoming. Hazel had decorated it well with warm colors and comfortable furniture, and all I wanted to do was curl up on the cream-colored couch and take a nap. I had promised her that while she and Luke were away on their two-week-long honeymoon road trip with their dog, Sadie, I would check in on the place. I knew it was likely that I’d be there more often since Adam was moving in. I would need somewhere else to go when he made me miserable.

I was in the middle of a daydream about napping on the large, comfy couch in the living room while idly sipping my beer when I heard hushed voices on the other side of the wall. To my left I could see over the half wall and into the living room and to my right was the entrance to the kitchen from the entryway. I peered over the wall, but they weren’t in the living room, so I scooted to the right until I was close enough to almost clearly make out their voices.

“Where the hell is she?” one of them said.

“I don’t know, but we’re in agreement, right?”

I couldn’t tell whose voice was whose when they were whispering, and I was already straining to hear them.

“Yes, for the millionth fucking time. We will wait a few weeks and then bring it up to her. But like I said, that means no kissing or touching or fucking until then.”

I immediately perked up and was further intrigued and annoyed by the quiet conversation.

---