“Me too,” I admitted, inhaling a sharp breath of fresh air. “There’s nothing that a little rain can’t wash away.”
As I turned to get into the car, Korbin right behind me, a stranger’s voice spoke up, catching me off guard.
“Korbin?” said the voice, and a young, blond-haired woman turned the corner, her eyes on us.
“Amanda,” Korbin said, clearly familiar with the woman. She seemed friendly enough, but something about her vibe was off—and I couldn’t determine exactly what it was. A tight knot formed in my stomach as Amanda approached us, smiling hesitantly.
“It’s good to see you,” she said, standing on her tip-toes to hug Korbin. He looked moderately taken aback, but he hugged her back, looking awkward.
“You too,” he said, peering over her shoulder to see if she had company. “How are you?”
“Really good,” Amanda said, and I couldn’t help but notice that she hardly paid me any attention. In fact, she seemed to slither closer to Korbin, green eyes flashing. “I keep meaning to make it over to see you and Nina, but I’ve been so busy with work.”
“No problem at all,” Korbin said, finally glancing at me. “Oh, uh, Amanda, this is Peyton Blake. She’s a—a really good friend of mine.”
“Blake?” Amanda asked. “Are you related to Susan?”
“Yes, she’s my mother—how did you know that?”
“I’m a CNA,” said Amanda. “I’ve seen her name around the doctor’s office.”
“Oh, well, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” I said kindly, holding my hand for Amanda to shake. The girl smiled at me—if you could call it that—and shook my hand limply like she was going out of her way not to talk to me.
“I guess I’ll see you later,” she said to Korbin, and I swear to God she could have been undressing him with her eyes.
“Nice to meet you,” I called to Amanda’s parting back. She didn’t even acknowledge me, and a moment later, she was gone, leaving me and Korbin standing in the rain, both of us seemingly confused.
“Cute,” I said. “You didn’t tell me you had a girlfriend.”
“She’s not a girlfriend,” Korbin muttered. “She’s barely even a friend. She’s just been nice since I got hurt.”
“Oh, I bet she has,” I teased, getting into the car to start the engine. Korbin joined me a moment later as I turned on the heat, blasting it from the vents.
“It’s not like that,” he said, and I forced a shrug, pretending like I couldn’t care less. I hoped I was more convincing to him than I was to myself.
“It can be however you want it to be, Korbin.”
“Don’t be like that.”
“Like what?”
“Jealous,” he said, and I whipped my head around to glare at him, taken aback.
“I’m not jealous of that teenager,” I grumbled, and Korbin laughed, which only irked me more. At this point, I figured changing the subject was the best thing I could do. “Thank you for the food,” I said evenly, placing my hands in front of the heater vent. “I've missed that place.”
“Me too,” said Korbin. “They’re still as delicious as always, it seems.”
A moderately comfortable silence settled between us as we drove, Amanda momentarily forgotten. Still, I could only focus on how good he smelled sitting next to me, like soap and aftershave. I had missed his scent, the feel of his body against mine, the way his arms used to hold me tight. I missedhim.
Get it together, Peyton. You have more important things to focus on than your failed engagement,I thought bitterly, my hands tightening around the steering wheel. It made me feel a little bit better imagining that I was squeezing Korbin’s neck.
“It's been really good to see you,” he said as I drove. “I think about you all the time.”
A shiver of longing climbed up my spine, and I forced it down, wishing he hadn’t just said that. “And why is that?” I asked. “Why do you still think about me? We haven’t been a couple in years.”
“I guess it doesn’t matter,” he said softly. “Because you’re all I think about. You’re the only person I’ve ever really thought about at all, Peyton.”
I stared out the windshield, my hands tightening around the steering wheel until my fingers ached and my palms stung. I couldn't believe what I was hearing; after all these years and all that heartache, now Korbin was telling me that he missed me? I wanted to kiss him and slap him all at the same time.
