Page 65 of The Future Play

I hate knowing I hurt her—that I made her cry.

When I get to Amanda’s room, I pause in the doorway, watching her as she scribbles a note on a piece of paper and pins it to the bulletin board above her desk. I swear, her mind never stops moving.

I shouldn’t be surprised that her room has an entire aesthetic vibe that I see and immediately associate with her. Light purples and pinks melt together with creamy tans, but not in a way that seems girlish. Pillows and wall hangings with quotes dot the space. Everything is low-key, but perfectly placed.

There’s a cozy chair by a bookshelf in the corner, and there are tons of pillows and a fluffy throw blanket on her bed.

It’s the picture of refined comfort.

“This room is perfectly you.”

She turns around with a smile. “Thank you. Event planning isn’t quite interior design, but they flex a lot of the same muscles. It helps that I know what I like.” She puts a hand on her hip and stares at me, smile growing. “I think you’d look pretty good in here too.”

“Yeah?” I cross the room to her and wrap my arms around her.

“Mhm.”

I love the feeling of her arms wrapped around me as she rests her body against mine.

I run my fingers through her hair, and she looks up at me. “Are you okay?”

I put my hands on her shoulders and look into her eyes. “Did I make you cry?”

Her lips pull flat. “What did Pete say?”

“It doesn’t matter. Did I?”

She pushes out of my arms and shrugs while shaking her head. “I—it wasn’t you—I got my hopes up, and…”

Not letting her get away with that answer, I cup her face in my hands. “Tell me the truth.”

“Yes, I cried that night. But I shouldn’t have given you that power so easily.”

“No. I shouldn’t have taken anything about you or our friendship—what it was growing into—for granted. I’m sorry my carelessness hurt you.”

Tears well in her eyes, but she blinks them away. “I’m not good at this.”

“At what?”

“Being vulnerable. Letting someone else see my hurt.”

“I see it whether you let me or not. I always see you.”

“Jamie…”

I sweep my thumb under her eye and wipe away a tear, then lean down, resting my forehead against hers.

“I’m sorry I hurt you, but I promise to keep working to fix that hurt and to protect your heart in the future. And I’ll do my best to show that with my actions.”

She stares at me silently for a moment, those caramel eyes gazing intently into mine.

“Thank you for being here,” she whispers.

“Thank you for letting me in.”

This time, she pulls me into a hug, holding me tightly. I gently kiss her head and something inside me cracks open.

I didn’t know I wanted this, but now that I have it, I don’t think I could ever go without it. I couldn’t go without her.

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