Page 73 of When We Meet Again

Silence washes over us. I’m completely unsure on where to even begin.

“I saw your bucket list checked off on the fridge.” He finally breaks the silence.

“Yeah.” I rub my thumb nail against the wood railing, trying to distract myself. “Roman helped

me with those. Time was ticking.” I laugh awkwardly.

“He’s a good man, Waverly.” Patrick steps toward me, leaning against the balcony. “I’m sorry.”

A long breath of air leaves him.

“Sorry? About what?” I’m confused. What could he possibly be sorry about?

“While I was staying at our—your apartment…I hope I didn’t lead you on at all.”Um, what?His hands drag down his face. “I came to the apartment that night I got back to tell you this, but I guess I just fell back into old habits. And it was so shitty. I was never going to ask to get back together with you. I should have never treated you like that. Not only because it was wrong, but because you aren’t mine to treat any type of way.”

Another swipe of hands over his face. “Ugh. This is all coming out wrong.”

“I…You…What?” I blink rapidly, trying to figure out what the hell is happening. I mean, I feel like I knew there was nous. And I don’t want to be withhim. But it’s a slight blow to the ego to hear him say it so bluntly.

He pulls his hand out of his pocket and grabs mine. “I know Roman told you about the night we met and what really went down—how he wanted to meet you, but I took that from him.”

I nod, unable to speak.

“You and I, we never had what you and Roman had. There was something…different there. And instead of bowing out, I draggeduson for six painful years. I mean, they weren’t all painful…”

“No. I was there, too. I could have ended things. It doesn’tallfall on you.” I take my hand from his and pull my hair to the side, over one shoulder.

“No! Hear me out, Waverly. I need to say this.” His palm comes between us, silencing me, and pokes the burning coal within me. “I pushed Roman away…after he turned twenty-two…after that night he watched the sunset with you on the top of the hill at the fair. Your head was laying on his shoulder. I watched the whole thing while his date was chewing her stupid caramel apple in my ear.” I want to deny everything, to save face. But I also want to laugh because he’s right. She chewed like a horse.

I can’t argue with what he’s saying, so I let him continue, “You stayed up there for a while after the sunset. That damn song was playing, the one you both used to love so much… I knew. Everything in me knew he’d told you how he felt that night. And everything in me knew you were too loyal to me to tell him you felt the same way.” His voice breaks. “Even though you did. Youalwaysdid, and I was too pig-headed to admit it.”

“Patrick…” I lay a palm on his forearm. I don’t know why. Maybe to comfort him? I see a figure in the doorway, and before I look over, I can sense who it is. My body starts buzzing and my adrenaline starts to pump through me.

Roman.

He gives me one dip of his head and walks away. The mere sight of him ignites that fire inside of me. It’s something I never felt with Patrick.I’ll find Roman soon.

“I should have never said yes to your proposal, Patrick.” Blunt, but needed. His face falls at my admission. “I wasn’t myself with you. I don’t think I ever was, to be honest.” Tears line my eyes, threatening to fall.

It isnotmy party, and I willnotcry if I want to.

“I had an affair, Waverly.” I drop his hand. An affair. I feel myself pale. No matter the circumstances, nobody likes the wordaffair.

My throat is dry, and it hurts to push out the next words. I look around for water, or any type of drink. I look above for a possible rain cloud, but I come up flat.

“Care to elaborate?”

“The woman I stayed with, she took care of me. Nursed me back to health…” A smile creeps over his face like he’s genuinely happy when he thinks about her. I feel nauseous. “We slept together, a lot, and I fell in love with her, Waverly.” He rubs his hand over his mouth, and his sight flits to the sky.

“Well,” I start, utterly flabbergasted at his confession. “How was it an affair if you said you forgot about me?”

I feel an odd bout of aggression coming on, and I’m not sure what to do with it.

“I did forget, until I didn’t, and yet it didn’t stop me,” he states before he starts chewing on his cheek.

Knowing the feelings I have developed toward his brother all these years doesn’t exactly put me in a position to be as furious as I feel, but it’s kind of NOT REALLY the same thing at all. “So, I just want to make sure I have this right. You die, but not really. You have amnesia. You start remembering all the things, but not me,” I clarify as I wave my hands around. “Then when you start remembering that you had a fiancée, you slept with her anyway?” I blink repeatedly, eyes wide.

“Basically, yes.”

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