“Let’s just say, the road y’all have traveled on was not so straight, but when you finally got together…dude, you loved her with all your heart. There’s a reason you’re feeling the way you are, Josh. A love like what you and Heather share…it never goes away. Just take it slow. It’ll come back. For now, just enjoy it. Get to know each other again. In a way, you’re a lucky bastard.” Gunner smiled, shaking his head.

I looked at Gunner, confused. “How the hell do you figure that? I’ve lost all these years, Gun. I can’t even remember the girl I’m in love with. For fuck’s sake, I was planning on asking her to marry me!”

Gunner smiled at me. “Josh, you get to fall in love with her all over again. You can experience all those first moments with her. Dude, you get to sweep her off her feet again and make her fall in love with you even more.”

Jeff stared at Gunner and shook his head. “Jesus H. Christ, who the fuck taught you this sappy-ass shit?”

I started to laugh as I grabbed my side. “Oh shit. What about my truck?” If anything happened to my Dodge, I swear I’m going to kill that motherfucking drunk driver.

Gunner and Jeff both looked at each other.

“Dude, it’s totaled,” Gunner said.

“But don’t worry. You were actually getting ready to buy a new truck,” Jeff said as he glanced back at Gunner.

“My truck is totaled? Fuck! I was gonna buy a new Dodge? What was wrong with mine?”

Jeff smiled. “You weren’t gonna get a Dodge, dude. You were tired of that truck. Bitch had no balls. You were looking at an F-250 diesel. You needed power for pulling the trailer with your furniture.”

Gunner snapped his head over to Jeff.

I was getting a fucking Ford? Jesus, I really have changed. “Wait, what do you mean, ‘with your furniture’? I’m working for my dad?”

“You bought out your dad. It’s your business, dude, and you’re doing great,” Gunner said with a smile.

No fucking way. I own my dad’s business.

Just then, Victoria came back in. “Time to get you to do some deep breathing, babe,” she said as she winked at me.

Jeff looked Tori up and down as if she were a bug that should be stepped on. Gunner looked everywhere but at Tori.

Victoria noticed Gunner avoiding her. She walked up to him and ran her hand through his hair, and he immediately pulled away from her. “You still a deep breather during sex, Gun?”

Gunner turned and glared at Victoria.

What the fuck? Gunner slept with Victoria?

“Oh fuck no, Gunner!” Jeff said.

Victoria threw her head back and laughed. “Oh fuck yeah. I dare say Josh gave Gunner a run for his money though.” She looked back at me and smiled.

I couldn’t even think. Gunner slept with Tori. When? Before or after me? Fucking bastard never said a word to me. “When the fuck did this happen?” I said as I tried to sit up some.

Gunner gave Victoria a dirty look. “Shut the fuck up, Victoria.” He stood up and walked over toward me.

“Gunner, when the fuck did you sleep with my girlfriend?”

“First off, Josh, Victoria is not your girlfriend. Heather is. It was months before you started dating her, dude. It was one time, and it meant nothing,” Gunner said.

“Why didn’t you tell me that you’d slept with her, dude? You knew I liked her.”

When I looked over at Victoria, she was standing behind Gunner with a shit-eating grin on her face.

“Um, Josh—” Jeff said, walking up next to Gunner.

“Not now, Jeff! Gunner, why didn’t you tell me that you slept with the girl I’m dating?”

“You’re not fucking dating her, Josh. It was over four years ago, dude. You’re with Heather now.” Gunner threw his hands in his hair and let out a sigh.

“Josh—” Jeff said again.

Something snapped in me. “I’m not fucking dating anyone, and I don’t want to date anyone or be tied down to anyone!” I yelled.

With that, I heard someone suck in a breath of air.

“Ah fuck,” Jeff said.

When I looked over toward the door, I saw Heather and my mother standing there.

“Excuse me,” Heather said before she turned and left.

When I glanced at Victoria, she was smiling from ear to ear.

Why do I get the feeling she set that whole thing up?

“Heather, wait!” I called out. Pain shot through my body, and I threw my head back against the pillow, letting out a sigh.

“Jesus, Josh. Next time I try to tell you to shut the fuck up, you should listen.” Jeff turned and followed my mother out the door.

I glanced back at Gunner. “Fuck, Gunner. I’m sorry, dude. I don’t know what the hell came over me just now. It just feels like it’s all happening now and not four years ago.” I looked over toward Tori.

Gunner shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. I’m sorry I never told you about sleeping with Victoria.” He turned to Victoria. “You mind giving us a few minutes?”

“I’m so sorry, Josh. I wasn’t even thinking,” Victoria said.

“Can you just please give us a few minutes?” Gunner said, a little angrier this time.

“Oh yeah, sure. I’ll be back in a few minutes for that breathing exercise, Josh.” She winked at Gunner before she walked out the door.

Gunner closed his eyes and shook his head. “I really don’t like that girl,” he said as he looked at me.

I let out a small laugh. “Victoria is just being Victoria, that’s all.”

“Well, she better not ever pull that shit around Ellie,” he said, sitting back down.

“What did you want to talk about, Gunner?”

“Josh, you need to know something about Heather. I should probably let her tell you, but…” He trailed off, looking down at the floor.

“What is it? Is she sick or something?”

Gunner snapped his head up. “No! Oh god, no. It’s nothing like that. During Heather’s senior year of high school, her, um…her parents both died in a car accident.”

Holy fuck. That poor girl. “I’m all she has, aren’t I?” I asked, feeling tears build up in my eyes. This was the first time in my life I’d even cared about a girl, and I’d just hurt her.

Gunner nodded.

“And my big fucking mouth basically just told her that I didn’t want her as a girlfriend.” I closed my eyes and saw the look on her face when I’d said it.

When I opened my eyes, I turned to Gunner. “I always fuck things up, Gun…always.”

Chapter Eleven

“Elizabeth, let me talk to Heather.”

She nodded and gave me a weak smile. “I think I’ll go have a few words with Victoria.”

Fuck, I hate Victoria.

I caught up to Heather just as she was getting on the elevator. We rode down to the first floor in silence. I followed her as we walked outside. She sat down on a bench and leaned her head back.

“Why did this happen, Jeff? Am I just not meant to find happiness?”

When she looked at me with tears in her eyes, my heart dropped to my stomach.

Shit, this girl can’t catch a break. “Sweetheart, he didn’t mean it. I promise you, he feels something for you, something very strong. He’s just scared of how he’s feeling, Heather. In his mind, he’s this young kid in college, just having a good time. He’s confused, and Victoria threw some shit out there on purpose to confuse him even more.”

“That’s just it, Jeff. What if that’s the life he wants again?” Heather started shaking her head. “Damn it! I’m so damn confused. Do I back off? Do I keep telling him about us? I mean, I want him to remember us on his own, not because I’m feeding him with my memories. At the same time, I need him so much that I…” Heather’s voice broke off as tears began rolling down her face.

“You know what to do. You don’t give up on him. You love him, Heather. You need to be there for him as his girlfriend.” I grabbed her hand and held on to it.

“He told me he wants to start off as friends. I don’t know if I can just be his friend, Jeff. I mean, of course, I will, but…even earlier…shit, I couldn’t help myself. I kissed him!” she said as she covered her face with her free hand.

“Heather, just try your best to do what he asks. If he needs time to adjust to all of this, give him time. Deep down inside of him, he knows he loves you. We just need him to remember it.”

“Yeah…I know. Thanks so much, Jeff,” Heather said with a small smile. “Thank you for bringing me to the hospital to see him. I love you and Ari so much.”

“I know, sweetheart. Let’s head on back, okay? I’m sure Josh is worried that he upset you.” I stood up, still holding her hand in mine.

Gunner and I were quiet almost the whole way back to Mason.

I was still trying to process that he’d slept with Victoria. Fuck me.

Then, I thought back to a party when I’d come close to hooking up with her. Damn. How fucked-up would that have been?

“Dude, I still can’t believe you slept with Victoria. Why didn’t you say something to Josh when he started going out with her?” I asked as I looked over at Gunner.

“Because it was Josh, and I figured he was going to sleep with her and move on. How the hell was I supposed to know he’d end up dating her? Besides, I only hooked up with her once, and I was drunk when it happened.”

I shook my head and smiled. Glad those fucking days are over.

For some reason, I couldn’t wait to get home to Ari and Luke. I glanced over to see how fast Gunner was going.

“I know, dude. I want to get home to Ellie and Alex, too.” Gunner smiled.

“Jesus H. Christ. It must be in your blood. How the hell did you know what I was thinking?” I asked.

We both started to laugh, and Gunner shrugged his shoulders.

“Dude, I gotta know. Where the fuck do you come up with all that sappy shit you throw out there?”

“What the hell are you talking about? I just say what’s in my heart, that’s all,” Gunner said with a wink.

“Okay, dude, like that shit. You just say what’s in your heart? Who says that?”

“I do, and my sappy shit makes your sister happy.” He quickly glanced over toward me with a smile and a wink.

Bastard.

“Did Ellie tell you about the visit with Brad and Amanda?”

Gunner shook his head. “She just sent me a text and said one word—awkward.”

“Yeah, Ari sent me a text, too. She said she pretty much dug holes in her hands with her nails to keep from saying anything to him.”

“What the fuck do you think is going on, Jeff? I mean, come on. Do you really see Brad saying that shit to Amanda?”

“No, but he’s been acting weird lately. All this traveling out of town, and Smitty swears that Brad was with another girl. I mean, he loves Amanda so much. None of it makes any sense, Gunner. None of it.” I looked out the window.

“Dude, I think we need to have a chat with our buddy Brad.”