Page 60 of Unforgettable

Josh, however, had read my message and ignored it.

I was already heading to work by the time he left earlier that morning to intercept Amanda before she left her apartment, and by the time I returned, he’d left for Murphy’s. He’d also made it a point to read, yet ignore, all of my texts asking how it went.

With his silence, I assumed it didn’t go according to plan. We were both competitive, and between the two of us, I was far more vocal about it. But, if he’d gotten the result he was hoping for, he would’ve texted or called to gloat.

Which meant Amanda would either tell me to fuck off or maybe she’d already made her decision. And although I fucking prayed that she’d choose me, my stomach plummeted when I thought about what it would mean for Josh.

If she said yes to me, that would mean he’d get a no, and it was hard to be happy about my own success when I knew my best friend would be devastated. The possibility of his being heartbroken nearly overshadowed my hope that Amanda would light up when she saw me.

My phone vibrated in my hand, the screen having gone black while I contemplated Josh’s broken heart. Eagerly, I unlocked it, but instead of seeing the response from Josh I was hoping for, it was a text from my mom.

Her first text was simply my full name, and then another came through a second later.

Mama: Reed Alejandro Gregory.

Mama: Come visit your Mama.

I texted her back and promised to visit that week, to which she responded that she’d believe it when I walked through the front door.

What I wouldn’t do to visit her more. My mom was my best friend and biggest supporter but going to their house across the city meant I’d also have to see my father. And it took all of my energy to field his questions and concerns for even an hour. His constant confusion over my life choices and annoyance that I hadn’t chosen his preferred path for me was more than I could usually handle during a casual family dinner.

I shrugged my shoulders and rolled my head from side to side, attempting to relieve the tension that had been building there for the nearly hour and a half I’d been waiting for Amanda.

The moment I pocketed my phone and looked toward the front door of the school for what seemed like the millionth time, I finally saw what I’d been waiting for.

Amanda stepped out of the glass doors with her phone in her hand, smiling down at whatever she saw on the screen. She had her purse slung over one shoulder while carrying a large tote on the other. And it wasn’t until she’d stepped off the curb and was several feet into the parking lot that she looked up and stopped.

I made a mental note to talk to her about her lack of awareness later, but in that moment, I pushed the thought out of my head and smiled.

Even with her glasses on, I could see her squint in my direction and look around like she was waiting for Ashton Kutcher to jump out from behind a bush and tell her she was being punked. I watched as her smile faded and she glanced back to the school doors she’d just exited, appearing to contemplate heading back inside instead of approaching me.

That hurt, and it would have hurt more had I not had to quickly compose myself when her steps quickened in my direction.

“You and your friend have some really shit timing,” she mumbled, grabbing the door handle of her little car and chunking her bags in the back seat. They landed with a thud, and she slammed the door with enough force that it rocked the car. “Go ahead,” she prompted. “Say whatever you came here to say and make it quick. I want to go home.”

God, she was angry. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and she squared her shoulders like she was ready for a showdown.

“If you want to go home, I can meet you there. My intention wasn’t to—”

“Wasn’t to what, Reed? Force me into a decision I’m clearly not ready or willing to make? Because that’s kind of what Josh said this morning, too, yet that’s what you’re both doing. You show up here and try to bamboozle me into talking.”

“This is not a bamboozlement,” I stuttered out.

“First of all, no way in hell is that a word, and second of all, you didn’t answer my question. What is this, then?”

“Imissyou,” I said, letting all of the pent-up emotion and hurt and concern flood out in those three little words.

Amanda heard it all, too—what those three words said and didn’t say—because her face fell and her shoulders dropped.

“I haven’t gone anywhere, Reed. There’s no reason to miss me.”

“Are you sure? Because it feels like you’re somewhere else completely.”

“How can you say that when I’m standing right here?”

It took all of my strength not to roll my eyes at the way she twisted my words.

“Why can’t y’all just give me a little time? Why is that so hard?”

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