The One Left Behind (The One Series) (12 page)

I nod. I guess Jeremy is right. I don’t have anything to worry about. Yet. “I’m sorry if I was coming off as psycho or jealous. I can’t help it. I have these feelings for you and they aren’t going away. I’m not saying this to make you feel guilty for not remembering, or to feel pressured. I just want you to know where I’m coming from. But, I like where things are going. I like that we’re able to sit here, talk, and eat together. So, if you need Pierce as an outlet to help work things out, then I’m completely okay with that.” I turn my hand over and squeeze hers. “Thank you for explaining it to me. You don’t owe it to me, but I appreciate it all the same,” I tell her. This time I give her a real smile.

I’m glad we were able to talk about Pierce and I feel much lighter now that I know where she stands with him. Do I feel completely comfortable with it? No. However, it does give me hope that she actually wants to remember. There are times where I was starting to doubt if she wanted her memories back. God, I hope they come back to her soon. Each day is like a slow, agonizing death. For now, though, I’ll have to keep being patient and continue to be her friend.

A WEEK HAS gone by since my lunch with Colin. Things have been crazy busy for me. I’ve gotten to spend some more time with Colin and Pierce. They are both fun to hang out with. The awkwardness has disappeared between me and Colin and I feel like our friendship is finally starting to gain some solid ground. I feel bad because I have kind of been neglecting Colby and Morgan. They have always been there for me and I haven’t made any time for them lately. I walk over to the side of my bed where my phone is charging and text Colby.

Me: Hey what are you doing tonight?

While waiting for Colby to text me back, I hop in the shower to get ready in case she wants to hang out tonight. I throw on a pair of dark blue jeans and a NY Yankees T-shirt. As I finish, I hear my phone alert me of a new text message.

Colby: Me and Damon are going to cosmic lanes at seven. Want to come?

Another text comes through but this time it’s from Pierce.

Pierce: Hey whatcha up to ;-)

Me: Oh nothing just getting dressed.

Pierce: Going out?

I am about to respond when Colby’s call flashed across my screen.

“Hello,” I answer.

“Hey. So what do you say? Do you want to come bowling with us?”

“Sounds good. Do you mind if I bring a friend?” I’m bouncing my knee up and down when I ask hesitantly. I don’t want Colby to read too much into my friendship with Pierce.

“The more the merrier. Do you want us to pick you up on the way?”

“Sure, that would be great.”

I hang up and call Pierce. As I’m waiting for him to pick up, I pace back and forth in my living room. This is the first time I’ve asked him to hang out. I hope he’s okay hanging out with me and my friends. It didn’t occur to me until now that he might look at this as me wanting more out of our friendship. Like introducing him to my friends is the next step or something. I’m about to chicken out and hang up when he answers.

“Hey.” I hear the smile in his voice and it makes me stop pacing and relax.

“Someone’s having a good day I take it.”

“It’s always a good day when you call me. So what’s up?” I bite my lip to keep from giggling like an obnoxious teenager. I feel my face heat up and I’m glad he’s not here to see me blush fiercely at his compliment.

“Well, I was calling to see if you wanted to come bowling with me tonight.”

“Sure, just us?” I start to spin the antique ring on my finger as some of the nervousness from earlier returns.

“Actually,” I say hesitantly, “I’m meeting Colby and her boyfriend, Damon. Is that okay?” I hold my breath hoping he’s not going to change his mind.

He responds quickly with, “That’s perfectly okay. I would love to meet your friends.”

I smile and nod like he can see me. I’m so lame. “Okay, well then I will see you at Cosmic Lanes at seven.”

“Glow in the dark bowling it is. I may be a little late. I have some things I have to tie up here at the office before I can leave.”

“Okay, then I’ll see you later.”

“Can’t wait.” A rush of giddiness runs through my body and now I can’t wait to go bowling later this evening.

Once I hang up with Pierce, I call my parents to check in with them to kill some time before I leave. It’s been a while since I have talked to my mom so I’m sure if I don’t call her she will do a random ‘I was in the neighborhood’ visit. I speak with my parents for about an hour and we make plans to go to dinner for my birthday. By the time I hang up, Colby and Damon are out front waiting for me. I hop in the car and we are off.

We arrive at the bowling alley and I tell Colby and Damon that my friend is going to be a little late. We grab a lane, shoes, and balls. We are drinking and having a good time and are just about to finish our first game with Colby up last. As she is throwing the ball down the lane, I feel someone hug me from behind. At first I’m a little startled until I hear, “Hey, you,” whispered in my ear. The smell of his cologne hits my senses and I know it’s Pierce with his arms wrapped around me. It’s everything I have in me not to melt into his body at this moment.

I turn around and throw my arms around his neck and give him a big kiss on the cheek. I take a step back to get a grip on myself. I’m not sure where all these emotions are coming from when it comes to Pierce. All I know is I am super excited that he is here with me and I’m not sure if that’s a normal reaction to feel for someone who is strictly your friend.

My eyes scan his body and take in his casual attire of jeans and a plain, green T-shirt. I’m amazed how he manages to make something so simple look so sexy. The shirt is snug on his biceps and gives a clear picture of his well-defined pecs and abs. I have to pull my eyes away to keep from drooling. I shake my head to clear my thoughts. Again, my body’s natural reaction to Pierce catches me off guard and I push it to the back of my mind.

“Hey, yourself. How was your day? Were you able to get everything taken care of before you left?” I try to restrain to huge smile that is spread across my face, but I can’t help myself. Seeing him here makes me happy. Before he can answer my questions, I hear a throat clear behind me and see Colby staring at me with one eyebrow raised and a smirk on her face. “Addison, who’s your friend?” she says in almost an accusatory tone. This is why I haven’t told her that Pierce was the one meeting us up until this moment. I didn’t want to be interrogated the entire ride here and while we waited for his arrival.

I roll my eyes and am about to make introductions, when Pierce extends his hand out to her and says, “I’m Pierce. You must be Colby.” Colby shakes his hand and is eyeing him suspiciously while checking him out. Pierce turns his attention to Colby’s boyfriend, “Damon, I presume?” They shake hands as well.

“Yup, that’s me. It’s nice to meet you, man,” he replies.

“Yes, very nice, Pierce,” Colby says in a semi seductive tone, earning her a look from Damon. She shrugs her shoulders and says, “What? It is,” in an innocent way.

I take this as my queue to step in. “Pierce, did you get your shoes already?” I ask him.

“I did.” He holds up his pair of shoes and sits down to put them on. Addressing the rest of the group he says, “I’m sorry again for running late. I had some issues I ran into at my company and they needed to be handled right away.”

Damon walks over to where Pierce is sitting. “That’s cool man. So you own your own company?”

I throw Pierce a half, lopsided smile and mouth “sorry” to him. I should have filled everyone in on what Pierce did so that he wouldn’t have to talk about work when he just got off. Pierce winks at me and gives his attention back to Damon.

I get butterflies in my stomach with that small gesture from him. I’m not sure if I’m imagining things, but I’m pretty sure Pierce has been a little more flirtatious with me lately. The way I physically respond to his presence almost makes me feel guilty. I shouldn’t be having these thoughts about another man, especially one I just met, when I have a former fiancé waiting for me.

“Damon, why don’t we go get some drinks for everyone and I’ll tell you all about what I do,” Pierce says with an easy grin, patting Damon on the shoulder.

The guys walk off to the bar and I turn to face my best friend and brace myself for the interrogation I’ve been trying to avoid all night. Her head is tilted to the side with an arched eyebrow, staring a hole into my face.

I fold my arms and sigh dramatically. “What, Colby?”

“Oh, nothing,” she says in a sing song voice. She keeps eyeing me waiting for a confession. Only I have nothing to confess. Pierce and I are just friends.

“Come on Colby, out with it already.” I slump down into my chair. I hope she spits it out so we can get this conversation over with quickly.

“Fine, I just think it’s weird that when you told me about Pierce you forgot to mention how insanely hot he is. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love Damon and he is a good looking man but if I was here and single, I would be all over that man like white on rice.”

I shake my head at her, “We’re not like that, Colby. We are just friends. Nothing more, nothing less. Can you please just leave it alone?”

“Fine, I’ll leave it alone…for tonight,” she says looking at me skeptically.

The guys return with a pitcher of beer and four cups. Damon and Pierce are laughing at something and it makes me happy that they are getting along. Pierce has become a great friend and I would like to bring him around more often. We bowl three games and pair off. Colby and I never really took bowling seriously since we suck at it. Pierce and Damon, however, are quite the bowlers, and competitive ones at that. They keep trying to give us pointers on how to bowl strikes or hit one pin. Colby and I break out into a laughing fit at the guys’ frustrations at their inability to make us good bowlers. By the third game, the guys had enough and kicked us out of their “tournament.” Apparently, we weren’t taking the game seriously enough. This just makes Colby and I laugh more as we sip our drinks at the table.

“So, I like Pierce. He seems like a good guy,” Colby says and I can tell she’s trying to finish our conversation from earlier.

“Cole, don’t start please,” I say in an exasperated tone. I set my drink down waiting for her to continue. I know that she won’t stop until she gets the answers she wants.

“What? I do. I’m not saying as a boyfriend, but I like him. I can see why you guys are good friends. And I get it. You don’t feel pressured into remembering when you’re with him. If I ever made you feel pressured, I’m sorry.” I look at Colby and she’s looking down at the table, drumming her fingernails against it seemingly lost in thought. I refill our drinks and slide her cup to her.

“Hey, Colby, what’s wrong?” My eyebrows are pinched together as worry settles in on what is bothering my friend.

“Well, I just feel like lately you have been distancing yourself from us. From me, Damon, and Morgan. I know you have a lot going on and you’re trying to build yourself a new life, I just get nervous that I’m not going to be part of it.” Colby is playing with the bracelet Damon gave her nervously.

“I know I haven’t made much time for you and everyone else and I’m sorry for that. I have been trying to be fair to Colin and spend time with him and then I have been spending time with Pierce because you’re right; I don’t feel pressured with him. But that’s not fair to you and I will do better. I promise. How can I make it up to you?”

The guys finish their game and are walking back to the table to grab their beers when Colby exclaims, “Karaoke!”

I tilt my head to the side and purse my lips. “I’m sorry, what about karaoke?”

“Yeah, what about karaoke?” Damon inquires in an excited tone. Oh no, this isn’t looking good for me if this is going where I think it’s going.

Colby has a mischievous smile on her face and turns to Pierce and Damon. She crosses her arms and props them up on the table, “Well, Addison here was just telling me how she was having a hard time coming up with something to do for her birthday. So being the good friend that I am, I suggested we all get together for drinks and karaoke.” Colby looks over at me with a smug look on her face.

I’m going to kill her.

Dancing around people is one thing, but singing? No. There was no way I was going to stand on a stage and make a complete fool out of myself in front of everyone I know. Nope, not happening.

Damon immediately chimes in. “What a great idea! Who doesn’t love karaoke?”

I shoot Colby an evil glare and respond to Damon, “I don’t, that’s who. No way. Absolutely not.” I shake my head for added emphasis.

Pierce tucks a strand of loose hair behind my ear. A shiver runs down my spine when his fingertips lightly brush against my earlobe. My breathing falters slightly as he whispers into my ear, “If you do this, I will make it worth your while when I get up on that stage.” He pulls back and gives me a charming smile. Between the shivers still running up and down my body and the look in his eye, this man could make me say yes to anything right about now.