“Yep, y’all, too. Been a long time. We’ll have to get together for old times’ sake,” Victoria said to Jeff before she glanced at me with an evil grin.

I smiled back at her, shaking my head.

I’m going to put this girl in her place. Time to pull out my inner bitch.

I sat there and listened to Gunner and Jeff talk about their lives. Married and with kids? Fuck me.

Then, I remembered the engagement ring. My parents had already come back from Starbucks, but they’d left with Heather for a bit to let Gunner and Jeff visit with me. Victoria had kept coming in every fifteen minutes. She was back again, and this time, she was leaning up against the bed, talking to Gunner.

“Hey, Tori, do you think I could have a few minutes alone with Jeff and Gunner? I need to talk to them about some things in private,” I said as I winked at her.

I watched as a blush slowly crept up her face. I wanted to roll my eyes at her reaction, but instead, I gave her my smile.

“Sure, babe. I’ll be back in a bit.”

Leaning down, she went to give me a kiss on the cheek. When I turned my head away, she stood back up.

“Oh shit, sorry. Old habits are hard to break,” she said as she smiled at me.

Once she shut the door, Jeff let out a laugh. “Motherfucker, some things never change!”

“Fuck, Josh, what did you ever see in that girl?” Gunner asked as he ran his hand through his hair.

I let out a laugh, but I stopped as soon as the pain in my side shot through my whole body.

“Fuck, don’t answer that. I already know what you’re gonna say…especially since your ass thinks you’re the old you!” Jeff smiled at me.

“The old me? What’s the new me like?” I asked as Jeff and Gunner looked at each other.

“Well, from what we saw when we walked in, I take it you know that you and Heather are dating?” Gunner asked with a grin.

I nodded. “There’s something about that girl. She’s exactly what I’ve been looking for. I’ve never felt like this before.”

Jeff smiled at me and shook his head. “Josh, you’re fucking madly in love with her. You were even gonna ask—”

Gunner hit Jeff in the arm.

I let out a laugh. Shit, the pain. “I already know I was going to ask her to marry me the night I had the accident. My parents told me they found the ring on me when they brought me into the hospital.”

Gunner smiled. “Yeah, dude, we went with you to pick it out. You were fucking nervous as hell, too.”

Jeff started laughing. “You were shaking from head to toe, but man…you picked out a beautiful ring.”

“Can I ask y’all something?”

“Of course, Josh. We’re like brothers. You know you can always ask us anything,” Jeff said.

“Have I been…well, you know…with Heather…have I been, um…well…”

“Jesus, spit it the hell out.” Gunner started to laugh.

“Have I been good to her? I mean…I haven’t fucked around on her, have I?”

Jeff looked at me and smiled. “Dude, the moment you realized you loved her, you went for, like, months without sex. I actually started to worry about you.” He threw his head back and laughed.

“Let’s just say, the road y’all have traveled on was not so straight, but when you finally got together…dude, you loved her with all your heart. There’s a reason you’re feeling the way you are, Josh. A love like what you and Heather share…it never goes away. Just take it slow. It’ll come back. For now, just enjoy it. Get to know each other again. In a way, you’re a lucky bastard.” Gunner smiled, shaking his head.

I looked at Gunner, confused. “How the hell do you figure that? I’ve lost all these years, Gun. I can’t even remember the girl I’m in love with. For fuck’s sake, I was planning on asking her to marry me!”

Gunner smiled at me. “Josh, you get to fall in love with her all over again. You can experience all those first moments with her. Dude, you get to sweep her off her feet again and make her fall in love with you even more.”

Jeff stared at Gunner and shook his head. “Jesus H. Christ, who the fuck taught you this sappy-ass shit?”

I started to laugh as I grabbed my side. “Oh shit. What about my truck?” If anything happened to my Dodge, I swear I’m going to kill that motherfucking drunk driver.

Gunner and Jeff both looked at each other.

“Dude, it’s totaled,” Gunner said.

“But don’t worry. You were actually getting ready to buy a new truck,” Jeff said as he glanced back at Gunner.

“My truck is totaled? Fuck! I was gonna buy a new Dodge? What was wrong with mine?”

Jeff smiled. “You weren’t gonna get a Dodge, dude. You were tired of that truck. Bitch had no balls. You were looking at an F-250 diesel. You needed power for pulling the trailer with your furniture.”

Gunner snapped his head over to Jeff.

I was getting a fucking Ford? Jesus, I really have changed. “Wait, what do you mean, ‘with your furniture’? I’m working for my dad?”

“You bought out your dad. It’s your business, dude, and you’re doing great,” Gunner said with a smile.

No fucking way. I own my dad’s business.

Just then, Victoria came back in. “Time to get you to do some deep breathing, babe,” she said as she winked at me.

Jeff looked Tori up and down as if she were a bug that should be stepped on. Gunner looked everywhere but at Tori.

Victoria noticed Gunner avoiding her. She walked up to him and ran her hand through his hair, and he immediately pulled away from her. “You still a deep breather during sex, Gun?”

Gunner turned and glared at Victoria.

What the fuck? Gunner slept with Victoria?

“Oh fuck no, Gunner!” Jeff said.

Victoria threw her head back and laughed. “Oh fuck yeah. I dare say Josh gave Gunner a run for his money though.” She looked back at me and smiled.

I couldn’t even think. Gunner slept with Tori. When? Before or after me? Fucking bastard never said a word to me. “When the fuck did this happen?” I said as I tried to sit up some.

Gunner gave Victoria a dirty look. “Shut the fuck up, Victoria.” He stood up and walked over toward me.

“Gunner, when the fuck did you sleep with my girlfriend?”

“First off, Josh, Victoria is not your girlfriend. Heather is. It was months before you started dating her, dude. It was one time, and it meant nothing,” Gunner said.

“Why didn’t you tell me that you’d slept with her, dude? You knew I liked her.”

When I looked over at Victoria, she was standing behind Gunner with a shit-eating grin on her face.

“Um, Josh—” Jeff said, walking up next to Gunner.

“Not now, Jeff! Gunner, why didn’t you tell me that you slept with the girl I’m dating?”

“You’re not fucking dating her, Josh. It was over four years ago, dude. You’re with Heather now.” Gunner threw his hands in his hair and let out a sigh.

“Josh—” Jeff said again.

Something snapped in me. “I’m not fucking dating anyone, and I don’t want to date anyone or be tied down to anyone!” I yelled.

With that, I heard someone suck in a breath of air.

“Ah fuck,” Jeff said.

When I looked over toward the door, I saw Heather and my mother standing there.

“Excuse me,” Heather said before she turned and left.

When I glanced at Victoria, she was smiling from ear to ear.

Why do I get the feeling she set that whole thing up?

“Heather, wait!” I called out. Pain shot through my body, and I threw my head back against the pillow, letting out a sigh.

“Jesus, Josh. Next time I try to tell you to shut the fuck up, you should listen.” Jeff turned and followed my mother out the door.

I glanced back at Gunner. “Fuck, Gunner. I’m sorry, dude. I don’t know what the hell came over me just now. It just feels like it’s all happening now and not four years ago.” I looked over toward Tori.