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Oliver’s eyes somehow went wider, which I thought was impossible. “It really was you.”

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked, looking between them. "Can one of you just speak plainly and tell me what the hell you're going on about?"

Theo sighed. “I don’t know much; what I do know came secondhand from Jackie. Goldie had been hardcore crushing on a guy at that time. None of us had met him, but he had invited her to a party. That party. The two of them apparently kissed, and she thought it was life-changing.” She trailed off. “And he forgot.”

“Damn,” I mumbled. That must have sucked. I could barely imagine Goldie opening up to someone enough to kiss them, but to be turned down right after? Even worse, forgotten? That had to have stung.

“Lex,” Oliver interjected, unamused. “You can’t be serious.”

“What?” I asked, confused again.

He rolled his eyes. “Lexington—” Oof, he was full-naming me. That was never good. “Was that guy you?”

I reared back like I had been slapped. “I think I would remember if Goldie had been crushing on me and we kissed. I’m an idiot, but not that much of an idiot.”

“You barely remember the party,” Theo challenged. “Really think—was it you?”

I thought back to the party. It had been my last night of freedom. I had done a few too many shots with a bachelorette party, danced with some stranger with black hair…

And dark eyes, so dark I kept getting lost in them…

I had pulled her close and remembered how much I loved feeling her in my arms.

But the kiss… I couldn’t remember the kiss. Why couldn't I remember the kiss?

“Shit…” I grumbled.

Oliver whacked me over the head.

“Ow,” I complained.

“You deserved that. How can you not remember kissing Goldie?” he argued, seeming genuinely angry at me.

“I was drunk,” I protested. “I didn't know she had a crush on me. I hadn’t even realized I invited her. I think I invited the whole office, even you, Theo.”

She shrugged, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

“And it was only a kiss; nothing else happened.” At least I hoped and prayed that was the extent of our dalliance. “I could get being upset if there was more between us, but a four-year grudge over one drunken kiss sounds like overkill.”

I wasn’t sure if I was trying to convince them or myself.

“No wonder she doesn’t like you,” Oliver grumbled. In the lifetime I had known Oliver, I could count on one hand the number of times I had seen him truly angry. The first was when my mom and Theo argued—he refused to let anyone disrespect his wife. The second, when Violet’s biological paternal grandparents had tried to get some sort of visitation. The third, when someone claimed Violet wasn’t his kid because they had different-colored skin. That was the angriest he had ever been.

And now. I hated having it directed at me.

“I didn’t mean to hurt her, okay? It probably meant nothing,” I tried to argue.

“Lex,” Theo chastised, “imagine the guy you’ve been crushing on finally kisses you… and forgets. That wouldn’t mean nothing to her.”

“She was only twenty-two, maybe twenty-three at the time,” Oliver continued. “Not only did you forget, but your surprise kid showed up the next day.”

I groaned and rubbed my eyes with the heels of my hands. They were right; I had royally fucked up. But I had never meant to. I wasn’t even sure how I could have forgotten. Well… I could. I was hammered. I hadn’t cared about anything serious at that time, and the realization of what I'd done to Goldie sat like a rock in my stomach. No wonder she didn’t like me. I had practically broken her heart.

“I gotta fix this,” I mumbled.

“You’re about four years too late, man,” Oliver interjected with an angry tone and stood.

I peeked open my eyes and looked up at him. “Why are you mad at me?”