Page 36 of Agony of Our Regret

Why wasn’t he saying anything?

No hug? Not even a hello?

“Noah?” I lifted my hand, but he shook his head. His curls fell into his face. He shoved them back and rubbed his forehead.

“Where’s Sky?”

Gavin strode over and immediately hugged his friend.

“What the hell? We haven’t seen you in years, but you’re looking for the one person you’ve been with for the past few months?”

Noah patted Gavin’s back and then stepped away. “Sorry. I...” He glanced at me again. “We need to talk.”

“With Ave?” Luca asked.

“No, all of us.” He finally spotted Sky and called out, “Hey, Skyler!”

Sky turned from Aaron and held up a finger. He finished what he was saying and hugged Aaron before heading back. “Yeah?”

“When is Vince getting here?” Noah asked.

I nearly gasped, but Luca’s question covered it. “He’s coming?”

“Yeah.” Sky pulled out his phone. “He said he’d be here by seven.”

“Geez, can’t a guy be three minutes late without everyone freaking out?” Vince’s deep voice reached us before he turned the corner and slapped his hands down on Noah and Sky’s shoulders. “Looks like the gang’s back together.”

Were we?

This wasn’t real.It was a surreal dream.

Maybe a nightmare?

How were the six of us standing in Luca’s parents’ house, smiling and chatting as if it hadn’t been half a decade since this last happened?

Why was Vince acting like…himself?

Noah was off, suspicious, which wasn’t unusual.But the way he was watching me put me on edge. What had he seen? Me pregnant? The baby? A future with me and a child? Shit.

Skyler grinned and waved, not missing a beat with people he hadn’t seen in years.

Yet, it didn’t feel right.

“Can we go up to your room?” Noah asked.

“It’s a guest room now, but sure.” Luca led the way to the stairs, and we followed in silence until Gavin shut the door behind us.

“So, this is wild,” Sky chuckled, as he looked at each of us. “Feels like forever, but also like no time has passed.”

“Right?” Vince smirked. “I wasn’t expecting this.”

“Like no time has passed, huh?” Gavin echoed with narrowed eyes.

“Which is why we can skip the bullshit and get to the point,” Noah barked. “They lied to us.”

He didn’t need to clarify who “they” or “us” were, especially since I accidentally managed to stand between Luca and Gavin.

“What?” Vince scanned the three of us. “I thought we cleared the air, worked through things.”

---