Page 201 of One of Those Amnesia Stories

“Whose fault do you think it is that I’m not married yet?” He pulled away from the curb, the house shrinking in the side mirror. “Your wife.”

I frowned. “How is Alessia at fault for you being single?”

“She was supposed to throw the bouquet at me. Properly. With intention. Instead she just passed it to me aggressively and walked away.” He shook his head mournfully. “I would have been married years ago if not for her.”

I stared at him. “If this car wasn’t moving, I’d jump out right now.”

He glanced at me, completely serious. “Do it. I’ll make sure Alessia doesn’t cry too much at the funeral.”

I nodded slowly. “Maybe she’ll finally throw the bouquet at you correctly there.”

He turned to glare at me, outraged. I burst out laughing. He shook his head, muttering something about “unbelievable” and “betrayed by my own best friend,” but the corners of his mouth were twitching.

He still looked wrecked. I could see it in the lines around his eyes, the tension that hadn’t fully left his shoulders. But he didn’t look lost anymore.

He looked like he knew where he was going.

Chapter 33

Iopened the door and caught the tail end of the conversation.

“—and I remembered to put almonds in the sandwich.” Terry was beaming, clearly proud of himself.

Alessia stared at him, her brow furrowing. “Almonds? Why would you put almonds in my sandwich?”

“Because you said you wanted it.” Terry’s smile began to waver, just slightly.

“No.” She shook her head, still confused. “No, I didn’t. I didn’t say anything about almonds.”

Terry’s confidence faltered. He looked down at the bag in his hand, then back at her. “Are you sure? I could have sworn someone said something about putting almonds in—”

He stopped.

His face went through a series of rapid shifts: confusion, realization, dawning horror.

“Ohhh.” He dragged the word out, stretching it like a curtain being drawn open. “The person in front of me said that. In the line. Not you.” He winced. “Shit.”

He stood there for a second, processing his mistake, then brightened. “Would you eat your sandwich with almonds?”

“What? No—”

I stepped further into the room. “It’s okay, Terry. You can take that one. Have it for lunch.”

Both of them turned. They’d been so absorbed in the almond crisis that neither had noticed me standing there.

Terry spoke first. “I can?” He glanced at Alessia, checking.

She waved a hand. “If you don’t mind almonds in your sandwich.”

He was already nodding, the sandwich bag clutched to his chest. “Oh, yeah. Totally fine. Love almonds. Big almond fan.”

He gave me a quick nod and was out the door before anyone could change their mind.

After the door closed behind him, Alessia shook her head. “How is he related to Naija? I refuse to believe it.”

Naija had insisted she didn’t need time off after the fire. Alessia gave her two weeks anyway. She wanted to give her two months, but they bargained it down. In her absence, one of her cousins had been sent to fill in.

Terry was… enthusiastic.