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I will.
But I shouldn’t have to.
“Long time no see!” Sam says as she beams at me with her perfect fucking teeth. She’s wearing her hair in a ponytail with a ballcap, and I bet she wants to make it look like the whole thing was effortless.
I know better, though.
I know she probably stood in front of the mirror for a half hour making sure her damn ponytail was at the perfect angle. Every loose strand pinned into place, all so she can look like she grabbed the hat on her way out the door.
“Yeah,” I say, taking a sip. “It’s been a while.” If she thinks I’m going to act like I’m happy to see her, she’s lost her goddamn mind.
She doesn’t let my response phase her. She’s too much of a pro to be thrown off by my game. “How have you been?” she asks, still fucking smiling.
Keeping my voice low, I say, “Well, I’m in this hell hole, so I’ve been better.” I feel the need to look at the other three people at the table and add, “No offense.”
Ethan shrugs. “None taken, man.”
Em just laughs.
And I don’t care what Chad does, so I don’t bother checking.
“As charming as ever, I see.” Sam playfully scrutinizes me, and I’m starting to think I should have drank faster. I could have maybe gotten another one down before she decided to walk over here and shit on my day.
“I try,” I say dryly as I take another sip.
She shakes her head at me knowingly before leaning forward and saying, “Do you think we can go somewhere and talk?”
Part of me wants to flat out answer no, but another, more curious part takes control. “Yeah, I guess.”
And this is how curiosity killed the fucking cat.
She seems to wait for me to take the lead, so I get up and walk us over to the far corner of the patio. My arms rest on the railing as I take in the view. Now that no one else is around, I let out a sigh. “What do you want, Sam?”
Her mouth quirks into a sad smile as she says, “I was afraid you might hate me.”
“I don’t. I just have nothing to say to you.”
“Ouch.” She grimaces before turning to look at the water as well. “Well, I have something to say to you.”
The beer may have done something to take the edge off of this conversation, but it doesn’t stop my mind from reeling. Picking at the label, I say, “Let’s hear it, then.”
She turns to face me. “I’m sorry, okay? I made a mistake. A really big mistake, and it’s one that I’ll always regret. I know that now.” She puts a hand on my arm, and it takes everything in me not to flinch at her touch. “You’re a good guy, Aiden, and I shouldn’t have done that to you.”
Lifting an eyebrow and looking at her out of the corner of my eye, I ask, “Is that all?”
She lets out a huff and gently pulls my arm to make me face her, so I give in. I stop looking at the beautiful ocean and look at who I once thought was the most beautiful girl in the world. “Seriously, Aiden? Don’t you ever miss me?”
“Not anymore.” It’s true. In the beginning, I missed her every fucking day, but over time the feeling faded.
I wish I could say the same about the damage she caused.
“Well, I miss things sometimes,” she says with that sly smile. “Like when you used to always put those stupid ducks in my car.”
My mouth twitches at the memory. One of my favorite breweries had a claw machine full of different rubber ducks. I’m talking ducks of every color and every fucking occupation. When Ethan and I would go—which was a lot—I’d always get a new duck to put in Sam’s car. She’d wake up to go to class or work the next day, and there’d be a new duck staring her in the face on her dashboard.
Catching my smile, she points at me. “See! You remember. I used to always take them out, but eventually, I just gave up and ducks were everywhere.”
“Of course, I remember.” Trying to forget something is a lot different than actually forgetting.
