Page 59 of Unforgettable

“Amanda, wait,” I pleaded, following her quickly retreating steps into the living room and back into the kitchen. “This is not how I planned on this going at all.”

I approached her from behind, and she whirled on me, crossing her arms and staring up into my face. “Is that so? Then how did you imagine it going when you showed up at my apartment unannounced when we hadn’t spoken in several days? Because this is about what I would expect. Actually, I’m surprised I haven’t kicked you out yet.”

“I was running out of options. What the hell else was I supposed to do when you wouldn’t answer the fucking phone?”

“I don’t know, take the hint, maybe? I don’t have anything to talk about right now. I need to get through these first few days of school and then…” She chewed her bottom lip, debating her words and looking everywhere except at me. “And then, if you want to talk, then we can. Just give me a little more time. Today’s Wednesday, we can discuss it this weekend if I’m feeling up for it.”

That statement simultaneously felt like both progress and several steps back. I wasn’t sure what had changed after our date, but something had.

“Another three days feels like forever. Why do I feel like you’re just going to turn around and tell me that this isn’t happening?”

She darted around the kitchen, grabbing a water bottle and throwing the bag I brought the salad in into a lunch box container. But she didn’t say anything. And her silence seemed so much louder than anything else she could have or would have said.

By the way she hurried around her apartment, I knew she was worried about getting to school on time and was also probably keen to get away from me as quickly as she could. So, I didn’t say anything else.

I hung back close to the door as she proceeded to gather her things. When she turned the kitchen light off, grabbed her keys off the table in the small entryway, and lifted her purse over her shoulder, I opened the door.

I offered to carry something, but she waved me off.

She didn’t spare a glance at me as she hurried out and waited for me to exit before she locked it behind us. I trailed a few steps behind her as we headed toward the stairs and watched a shiver run through her. It was chilly, and I felt pulled to wrap an arm around her and tuck her into my side, hiding her from the wind.

But I refrained from touching her no matter how badly my hands itched to do so.

I did, however, rush ahead of her to open the back door of her car, so she could slide her arms full of belongings onto the seat.

And when she pivoted to the driver’s side door, I reached my hand out to the handle. I was a second faster, which meant her cold, soft hand landed on mine. Finally, she looked up at me, and there was so much doubt in her deep-blue eyes.

“I thought our date went well. What happened?”

“It did go well,” she said, and then she muttered to herself. “That’s part of the problem.”

I searched for something to say. Anything that would mean I wasn’t going to lose her before I’d even really gotten her.

“Look, I just need time and space to think.”

“Amanda, I just—” I stuttered, struggling for the right words. “Fuck,I can’t, actually, I won’t lose our friendship. That’s the most important thing to me. So, even if nothing else happens, we will still be friends.”

She sighed deeply and rolled her neck, releasing some built-up tension. “Can you really promise that, though? Can you stand here and tell me that our friendship hasn’t already changed?”

“Yes,” I lied. And I could tell that she knew I didn’t believe it. “Please, just don’t shut me out. I want to talk to you, even if we don’t talk about us.”

“Good,” she said, prying her fingers from beneath my own and gripping the door handle. “Because, Josh, there is nous.”

And then she left.

I watched her car pull out of the parking lot and then disappear down the street. I stared in that direction for a while, and only when the sun finally peaked over the horizon did I begin walking to my truck.

EIGHTEEN

Reed

The sun had set nearlyan hour before and the cold air chilled me to the bone.

But even as my teeth chattered, I stood steadfast. I’d waited in my car for nearly half an hour, and once I’d realized Amanda wasn’t going to be leaving school at a decent time, I felt bad about the gas I’d wasted. So I’d taken to leaning against her car door, praying she’d appear from the glass doors sooner rather than later.

Instead of staring at the door and awkwardly making eye contact with each person that left the school, I busied myself with my phone. I’d scrolled through all of my social media apps and responded to a few work emails before I texted Luke for an update on their honeymoon and Josh letting him know that I was going to wait as long as necessary.

Luke responded only a few minutes later with an eggplant and a heart-eyes emoji. I decided to leave that one alone.

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