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He groaned. “If I’d known that, I would’ve just come to pick you up.”
I was about to ask what was stopping us from going now, but I caught his glance at Matteo. That was the problem. “He looks so happy to see Mark.”
“Yeah.”
“We can leave him here, come back later.”
Mason gave me a halfhearted smile. “I can be an asshole, but that’s a real douchebag move. I can’t ditch my buddy here.”
I refrained from reminding him how Matteo had ditched him at Channing’s fight. Mason was aware of that, so if he was sticking around, there was a reason.
“What was Mark talking about before?”
“Oh.” I rolled my eyes, ready to launch into the whole spiel when Becky and Adam came over. They’d arrived only five minutes earlier than Mason, so there’d been no awkward greetings. Yet. As Becky pressed a hand over her hair, trying to calm it, I saw how tightly she gripped Adam’s other hand.
“Hey, Samantha.” Becky’s voice hitched, sounding breathless. She bit her lip fiercely. “Uh…how are you?” Her hand jerked up, pointing to me. “It’s nice to see you here.”
There was the old Becky. Awkward. Self-conscious. Tentative. The girl I saw a couple years ago hadn’t resembled the girl who’d been my friend when so many turned their backs on me. She’d looked sophisticated with nice clothing, makeup, and her hair sleek. She’d seemed confident, too, and while physically she looked the same now, I felt some familiarity at seeing the Becky I used to know.
“Becky.” I indicated their joined hands. “You guys seem to be doing well.”
Her hand tightened around his. “Oh, yes. It’s been wonderful.” Her head tipped back, and she offered Adam a loving look. “Almost like a fairytale even.”
Adam mirrored her look, a soft grin teasing his mouth, before he focused on us. “So are you two. I mean, since junior year in high school. That’s a long time.”
I glanced at Mason. He’d been watching the exchange with an unreadable mask, but I saw through it. He was thinking, what the fuck is this?
I almost laughed. “Yeah. We’re doing good.”
Mason frowned. “Why the fuck are we here, Quinn?”
There he was.
I laughed now.
The old Mason, the old Quinn.
For whatever reason, it settled me.
Adam coughed. “Nice, Mason.”
“Sam thought she came here for a pit stop. We’re both only here because we were told about the other. It seems like a setup. What’s going on?”
Mark laughed uncomfortably as he migrated over with Matteo and Cass. “What’s happening?”
Mason fixed him with a look, his eyebrows slightly raised, as if he were asking, Are you serious? “We’re not friends with Quinn. Sam doesn’t hang out with your girlfriend or this one any longer.” He gestured toward Becky. “So why are we were?”
“No reason.” Mark shrugged, resting his arm around Cass’ shoulders. “I didn’t mean to stay this long. Just got distracted. That’s all.”
I could hear Mason’s thoughts. He was thinking this was bullshit, and I knew it was only a matter of time before that sentiment came out again, but not so nicely. Mason was being polite, so far.
I started to stand from my chair. “Well, then I think we’re going to go. It was nice—”
“Wait.”
Everyone turned to Adam. He rolled his shoulders back and, still holding Becky’s hand, tugged her closer to the water. His cheeks pinked, and he pulled at his collar. “Okay. I can see it’s time to come clean. Mark didn’t set this up or anything, but I did kind of ask him to keep Sam here.” He gestured to me. “I wasn’t going to do this this way, but then I was told Mason and I were going to be working together and Mark said he was with Sam and…” He glanced down at Becky, a fond look coming over his face. “I thought ‘what the hell.’” He put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her to his side. “I love you and I know you’ve been missing Sam over the years, so I threw caution to the wind and…”
“Adam.” Becky touched his bicep. “What are you doing?”
A strangled laugh rasped from his throat, and the pink drained from his face. He coughed to clear his throat before dropping to a knee.
Oh.
My.
Go—he was going to propose.
Adam looked around, holding Becky’s hand in front of him. “I’m sorry for the deception, but I knew you’d want Sam here for this.”
He was…
He totally was.
He looked back to Becky, who had a hand pressed to her mouth. She began to tremble. Her eyes filled with tears.
“Rebecca Sullivan, you and I have had a whirlwind of friendship and then a relationship, but you’ve always been my best friend. You’re always there for me, even when no one else is, and today, I’d like to ask you to be my partner for the rest of our lives.”
“Adam.” His name was a soft sigh. Tears streamed down her face, but she was glowing.
He pulled a small box from his pocket and opened it, showcasing a diamond ring. He held it out to her. “Will you marry me, Becky?”
“Yes. Yes! Oh, wow.” She laughed and cried. She looked so happy as he slid the ring onto her finger and picked her up, whirling her around in a tight hug.
They kissed, and Becky could only look from her ring to Adam and back again. She seemed in a daze for a full minute before shaking her head and looking at us.
“I’m engaged, you guys!”
This was weird.
And awkward.
And uncomfortable.
Cass moved forward, holding Becky to her. “Congratulations!”
Mark congratulated Adam, as did Matteo. Mason held out his hand, giving Adam a quick nod of congratulations.
I looked around, but there was no one else. There should’ve been more people. Everyone seemed to turn to me. They were waiting for my congratulations, but all I could think was, “Why did you do that in front of us?”
“What?” Becky frowned.
Adam looked shocked.
“Just fucking congratulate them, Sam,” Cass hissed.
I ignored her. “Why didn’t you do this in front of your families?”
A pained look flashed in Adam’s eyes, and I remembered how his dad had been a shithead the few times I saw him. But Becky… “Your parents,” I whispered hoarsely. “This should’ve happened in front of them.”
“You’re being a bitch.”
I ignored Cass again. Pain pressed in my chest, like someone was poking my lungs. I felt an impending doom. I shook my head. “Becky, I don’t know… I mean, why?”
So many years. We’d been friends once. That ended, and now this?
Adam moved in front of Becky, shielding her from me. “I wanted you to be here for this. For her.”
Becky rested a hand on his bicep again and stepped around in front of him. She clasped her hands in front of her and took a step closer, facing me directly.
“I was your friend once, Sam, and I’m the one who dropped the ball. I chose Adam over you when I should’ve chosen you first. I’ve always regretted that, and I think Adam’s always known. A lot of time has passed, and I’m not asking for anything, but I’m glad Adam did this. I wanted it that way, and he knew it.”
Her head bowed a moment before she gave me the shakiest, most scared and hopeful smile I’d ever seen on her. “Can you pretend to be my friend right now and congratulate me?” she whispered.
The wall I’d erected broke, and I pulled her into my arms, which she didn’t seem to be expecting.
“Congratulations, Becky.” She’d always loved him. “I am really happy for you. Really.” I held her even tighter.
She hugged me back.
I couldn’t remember the exact reason we weren’t friends anymore. The pain and betrayal were like a faint fog over my memories. They were there, and I knew things had happened, but in this moment, one she’d remember for the rest of her life, I let myself feel that old friendship once again.
SAMANTHA
I was about to ask what was stopping us from going now, but I caught his glance at Matteo. That was the problem. “He looks so happy to see Mark.”
“Yeah.”
“We can leave him here, come back later.”
Mason gave me a halfhearted smile. “I can be an asshole, but that’s a real douchebag move. I can’t ditch my buddy here.”
I refrained from reminding him how Matteo had ditched him at Channing’s fight. Mason was aware of that, so if he was sticking around, there was a reason.
“What was Mark talking about before?”
“Oh.” I rolled my eyes, ready to launch into the whole spiel when Becky and Adam came over. They’d arrived only five minutes earlier than Mason, so there’d been no awkward greetings. Yet. As Becky pressed a hand over her hair, trying to calm it, I saw how tightly she gripped Adam’s other hand.
“Hey, Samantha.” Becky’s voice hitched, sounding breathless. She bit her lip fiercely. “Uh…how are you?” Her hand jerked up, pointing to me. “It’s nice to see you here.”
There was the old Becky. Awkward. Self-conscious. Tentative. The girl I saw a couple years ago hadn’t resembled the girl who’d been my friend when so many turned their backs on me. She’d looked sophisticated with nice clothing, makeup, and her hair sleek. She’d seemed confident, too, and while physically she looked the same now, I felt some familiarity at seeing the Becky I used to know.
“Becky.” I indicated their joined hands. “You guys seem to be doing well.”
Her hand tightened around his. “Oh, yes. It’s been wonderful.” Her head tipped back, and she offered Adam a loving look. “Almost like a fairytale even.”
Adam mirrored her look, a soft grin teasing his mouth, before he focused on us. “So are you two. I mean, since junior year in high school. That’s a long time.”
I glanced at Mason. He’d been watching the exchange with an unreadable mask, but I saw through it. He was thinking, what the fuck is this?
I almost laughed. “Yeah. We’re doing good.”
Mason frowned. “Why the fuck are we here, Quinn?”
There he was.
I laughed now.
The old Mason, the old Quinn.
For whatever reason, it settled me.
Adam coughed. “Nice, Mason.”
“Sam thought she came here for a pit stop. We’re both only here because we were told about the other. It seems like a setup. What’s going on?”
Mark laughed uncomfortably as he migrated over with Matteo and Cass. “What’s happening?”
Mason fixed him with a look, his eyebrows slightly raised, as if he were asking, Are you serious? “We’re not friends with Quinn. Sam doesn’t hang out with your girlfriend or this one any longer.” He gestured toward Becky. “So why are we were?”
“No reason.” Mark shrugged, resting his arm around Cass’ shoulders. “I didn’t mean to stay this long. Just got distracted. That’s all.”
I could hear Mason’s thoughts. He was thinking this was bullshit, and I knew it was only a matter of time before that sentiment came out again, but not so nicely. Mason was being polite, so far.
I started to stand from my chair. “Well, then I think we’re going to go. It was nice—”
“Wait.”
Everyone turned to Adam. He rolled his shoulders back and, still holding Becky’s hand, tugged her closer to the water. His cheeks pinked, and he pulled at his collar. “Okay. I can see it’s time to come clean. Mark didn’t set this up or anything, but I did kind of ask him to keep Sam here.” He gestured to me. “I wasn’t going to do this this way, but then I was told Mason and I were going to be working together and Mark said he was with Sam and…” He glanced down at Becky, a fond look coming over his face. “I thought ‘what the hell.’” He put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her to his side. “I love you and I know you’ve been missing Sam over the years, so I threw caution to the wind and…”
“Adam.” Becky touched his bicep. “What are you doing?”
A strangled laugh rasped from his throat, and the pink drained from his face. He coughed to clear his throat before dropping to a knee.
Oh.
My.
Go—he was going to propose.
Adam looked around, holding Becky’s hand in front of him. “I’m sorry for the deception, but I knew you’d want Sam here for this.”
He was…
He totally was.
He looked back to Becky, who had a hand pressed to her mouth. She began to tremble. Her eyes filled with tears.
“Rebecca Sullivan, you and I have had a whirlwind of friendship and then a relationship, but you’ve always been my best friend. You’re always there for me, even when no one else is, and today, I’d like to ask you to be my partner for the rest of our lives.”
“Adam.” His name was a soft sigh. Tears streamed down her face, but she was glowing.
He pulled a small box from his pocket and opened it, showcasing a diamond ring. He held it out to her. “Will you marry me, Becky?”
“Yes. Yes! Oh, wow.” She laughed and cried. She looked so happy as he slid the ring onto her finger and picked her up, whirling her around in a tight hug.
They kissed, and Becky could only look from her ring to Adam and back again. She seemed in a daze for a full minute before shaking her head and looking at us.
“I’m engaged, you guys!”
This was weird.
And awkward.
And uncomfortable.
Cass moved forward, holding Becky to her. “Congratulations!”
Mark congratulated Adam, as did Matteo. Mason held out his hand, giving Adam a quick nod of congratulations.
I looked around, but there was no one else. There should’ve been more people. Everyone seemed to turn to me. They were waiting for my congratulations, but all I could think was, “Why did you do that in front of us?”
“What?” Becky frowned.
Adam looked shocked.
“Just fucking congratulate them, Sam,” Cass hissed.
I ignored her. “Why didn’t you do this in front of your families?”
A pained look flashed in Adam’s eyes, and I remembered how his dad had been a shithead the few times I saw him. But Becky… “Your parents,” I whispered hoarsely. “This should’ve happened in front of them.”
“You’re being a bitch.”
I ignored Cass again. Pain pressed in my chest, like someone was poking my lungs. I felt an impending doom. I shook my head. “Becky, I don’t know… I mean, why?”
So many years. We’d been friends once. That ended, and now this?
Adam moved in front of Becky, shielding her from me. “I wanted you to be here for this. For her.”
Becky rested a hand on his bicep again and stepped around in front of him. She clasped her hands in front of her and took a step closer, facing me directly.
“I was your friend once, Sam, and I’m the one who dropped the ball. I chose Adam over you when I should’ve chosen you first. I’ve always regretted that, and I think Adam’s always known. A lot of time has passed, and I’m not asking for anything, but I’m glad Adam did this. I wanted it that way, and he knew it.”
Her head bowed a moment before she gave me the shakiest, most scared and hopeful smile I’d ever seen on her. “Can you pretend to be my friend right now and congratulate me?” she whispered.
The wall I’d erected broke, and I pulled her into my arms, which she didn’t seem to be expecting.
“Congratulations, Becky.” She’d always loved him. “I am really happy for you. Really.” I held her even tighter.
She hugged me back.
I couldn’t remember the exact reason we weren’t friends anymore. The pain and betrayal were like a faint fog over my memories. They were there, and I knew things had happened, but in this moment, one she’d remember for the rest of her life, I let myself feel that old friendship once again.
SAMANTHA
