Page 145 of Forever Then

“Thanks.”

After pouring a cup, he settles into the seat across from me. Steam billows up from his mug as he drags a tired hand down his face.

“Didn’t sleep?” I ask.

“Not really.”

“Me neither.”

“Sorry if the couch was uncomfortable.”

“Couch was fine.”

His gaze slams into me, so disorienting I have to look away. He’s as ready to get this over with as I am.

I spin my mug between my palms. “What did Reagan tell you?”

He crosses his arms and leans back in his chair. “Nothing. She was already asleep when I got into bed last night. And this morning she told me to talk less and listen more.” I snort, but the twitch in his cheekbone shows far less amusement. “So, here I am, Gretch. I’m listening.”

I lean back, arms crossed over my chest like him. “If you’reexpecting me to tell you the drawn-out story of how everything happened with Connor, you’re not gonna get it. If you want that, you’re gonna have to talk to him.”

He bristles but stays silent.

“What I can tell you is that Connor and I didn’t happen out of thin air in Arizona. There have been things between us in the past that you don’t know about.” His jaw clenches. “It’s not what you think.”

“Whatever it was, he kept it from me,” he accuses.

“You’re right. But so did I. For that, you have to point equal blame at me.”

“Why didn’t youtell me?”

Before yesterday, I never worried about how he would react to the idea of Connor and me. And yet, I still never told him. Dropping my shoulders, I say, “Honestly, I don’t know. At first, I liked the feeling of having a part of him that was just mine. Then, there was some hurt that came later and I just…I didn’t know how to process it, so I avoided it.”

“He hurt you?” Drew asks, tone cold.

I’m not ashamed of this part of our story, although I know it doesn’t do Connor any favors. But I’ve forgiven him and Drew deserves to know at least that much. Strong eyes steady on his, I answer, “Yes. He did hurt me. But I’ve forgiven him.”

He considers that for a moment. “Did he cheat on Lauren?”

My brows furrow. “What? No! Before my graduation dinner back in May, I hadn’t seen or spoken to him since your wedding.”

His head tilts, but my lips remain sealed. “Gretch, you can’t dangle that in front of me and not expect me to ask questions.”

I work my jaw, gaze locked on the cold coffee in front of me. I could tell him. I could tell him everything about what happened on that balcony and the fallout that came after. It’d probably be easier coming from me than it would from his best friend, but Connor doesn’t want that. For whatever reason, he needs this conversation and I don’t want to take it away from him.

“All you need to know is that I’ve been in love with him since I was eighteen. The rest of the story you’ll have to get from him.”

Wood screeches as Drew’s chair scrapes across the tile floor. He stomps into the kitchen and spins back to me. “You can’t coerce me into talking to him.”

“Then do it for me!” I’m up now, matching his defensive posture, braced for more.

“This is what he does. Don’t you get it? He’s said all the right things, made you feel all lovey-dovey inside so you’d climb into his bed and, guess what, Gretch? He’ll spit you out like every woman that came before you.”

“We love each other!”

“You think that word means anything coming from him?” My head jolts back like I’ve just dodged a slap to the face. Disbelief is an electric current—it blazes through me. “He said he loved Lauren, too. Look how that worked out for her. All this proves is that he’s exactly the same immature, keg-stand frat boy he was ten years ago.”

“I think you mean to say immature, keg-stand frat boysthat youbothwere.”

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