Page 25 of Unforgettable

“Your proposal…”

“Are you just going to repeat everything we say?” Josh said.

I chuckled and shook my head, trying to clear the myriad of thoughts. “I’m sorry, I’m just confused and surprised. And I’m half expecting one of you to turn into a werewolf while the other starts sparkling and has a sudden taste for my blood.”

They both narrowed their eyes in confusion, but I waved them off. “Just tell me what your proposal is, so I can turn it down.”

Josh scrubbed a hand over his mouth. “This will benefit you more than you think. I would listen to what we have to say.”

I blew out a breath and leaned back into the couch, crossing my arms over my chest. “I’m listening. Please continue.”

“Two separate dates with both of us,” Reed said plainly. “We were going to go with three, but four felt more reasonable. The first one, we each plan a surprise date for you. We’ll take you somewhere, do something, pull out all of the stops—”

“Within reason,” Josh added, glaring at Reed.

“We’ll set a budget, but we’ll each plan our own date. Then the second date would be more relaxed—we’d make you dinner or order food and watch a movie. Something like that.”

The bigger part of me told me to not even humor their ludicrous idea, but there was a small yet significant part that wanted to hear them out. I was morbidly curious. “So, I go on two dates with each of you. What happens after that?”

“Well, the idea would be that you would choose,” Josh said.

And I laughed. Like seriously laughed because by the time I was done, my stomach was cramping and my cheeks hurt, and I could feel the tears pricking at the backs of my eyes. When I righted myself, tucking my legs underneath me and smoothing my hands over my legging-clad thighs, Reed and Josh were staring at me. They appeared only moderately annoyed at my outburst, but I couldn’t care—I was the woman they wanted to date, so they’d have to learn to put up with me.

That realization hit me like a smack to the face or a bucket of cold water over my head.

“You want me to choose?”

“Yes,” they both said simultaneously.

“You’ve both lost the plot. I’m not choosing, and who said I wanted to be with either of you? Huh?” Suddenly uncomfortable, I stood from the couch and paced in front of the fireplace. “Have you considered that? Maybe all I see is friendship between us. Did you think about that when you were scheming behind my back?”

“I would hardly call it scheming,” Reed said, but I threw him a scathing look that quickly quieted him.

“Why did you have to do this? You both fucking ambushed me at the damn wedding and fucked it all up! Everything was fine before that—we all three pretended like that stupid night at the lake didn’t happen, and it was fine. Why couldn’t it have just been fine?”

“Because it wasn’t fine, Amanda,” Josh said, imploring me to hear him, and I stopped pacing. “We’ve both thought about that night every fucking day since, and nothing’s changed. The feelings haven’t gone away, so here we are. And you can say all you want that you don’t feel some sort of way, but we know you’re lying. Speaking for myself, I’m not willing to just let this go. And Reed has made the same statement, so this is the best we came up with—we both want a shot.”

I shuddered a breath as I continued walking a hole in the hardwood floor in front of the fireplace. These men were going to be the death of me.

“I agree with everything Josh said. Speaking for myself—” Reed stood and stepped toward me, but I backpedaled quickly.

“Oh no, no, no,” I said, darting around the couch, hoping to distance myself as much as I could. Space, I needed space to think clearly. All of their smells and hands and sounds made it hard to do anything besides focus on them. “Stay on that side of the couch. Do not come near me.”

“Why?” Josh said, standing next to Reed near the coffee table, the two of them too damn attractive and mouthwatering for their own good.

“Because I need space to think.”

“Why?” It was Reed that time.

“Because it’s hard to fucking think straight when you’re around.”

“Who?” Josh asked.

“Both of you.”

“But who?”

I groaned in irritation. “What are you two? Fucking owls? Or maybe it’s Tweedledee and Tweedledum. Either way, just don’t come near me.”

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