I waited outside while he brought his car
around. A moment later, two cars pulled up. The
windows rolled down, and two voices said
simultaneously, “Amy, get in.”
5
Both Sam and Josh got out of their cars,
opened their passenger doors, and looked at
- me. “I’ll take you home.”
I was wondering what Josh’s deal was when he
turned to Sam, his voice tight. “You just met
Amy, and you’re offering her a ride home?
What, are you planning on holding her hand
<
tomorrow too?”
Sam didn’t back down. His face hardened
slightly. “Amy and I might have just met, but we
have a future. Unlike some people who are
stuck in the past, right?”
They glared at each other, clearly having
already had some kind of confrontation in the
parking garage. I had no idea what Josh’s
problem was, but I got into Sam’s car without a
second thought. In the rearview mirror, I saw
Josh’s eyes redden as he lowered his head.
Before I could even thank Sam, my phone
started buzzing with notifications from the
group chat.
6
I opened it to see a picture of Josh’s dejected
figure standing by his car.
“I’m using this as the cover for my fanfic. Total heartbreak vibes.”
“Amy, Josh looks crushed. Go give him a hug.”
I typed back, “Is he made of glass? Let his
girlfriend put him back together.”
A moment later, Josh himself replied in the
<
10:51
504
chat, tagging me: “Amy, I don’t have a
girlfriend. I haven’t dated anyone since we
broke up. I swear. Melanie is the daughter of
my business partner. We only interact professionally. I only came to the reunion
because I heard you’d be there. She followed
me without my knowing. Well, okay, I knew. I let
her come because…I wanted to make you
jealous. I wanted to see if you still cared.”
I stared at the wall of text. Why couldn’t he just
text me privately?
Predictably, the chat exploded.
“Whoa, Josh actually speaks? And he writes
essays? Is this the same quiet, cool Josh we
knew in high school?”
“Duh, he was only quiet around us, not Amy.”
“Okay, rewriting my fanfic. From high school
sweethearts to happily ever after! Wedding
bells!”
“Wait, are they getting married?”
“When are they having kids?”
I groaned. If I kept reading, they’d have me
giving birth to twins by the end of the night.
<
I looked up, realizing we were at my apartment.
“Already?” I asked, surprised.
Sam’s eyes flickered with amusement. “I
actually drove pretty slowly. Maybe you were
just…distracted.”
He smiled. “I hope I get to see you again.”
I nodded.
As I got out, he said something odd. “Amy, I
hate blind dates. This was my first, and I hope
it’s my last.”
I nodded again, confused.
As I walked into my building, I could have sworn
I heard Josh and Sam arguing outside.
7
“You know what a ‘first love‘ is?” Josh’s voice
drifted up. “Amy and I are each other’s first
loves. It’s epic, it’s messy, it’s unforgettable.
You met her once. You can’t come between
- us.
Sam’s voice, lower and calmer, replied, “If I
couldn’t come between you, you wouldn’t be
talking to me. You intercepted me in the
parking garage, told me you were her ex, and
<
10:51
514
now you’re here saying all this. What? Is ‘first
love‘ some kind of superpower?” He chuckled.
“Everyone has a past. Maybe I’ll be her ‘one
that got away‘.”
