Page 104 of Never Forget
"Word travels."
"Bryce mentioned it. At Sunday dinner." She said it easy, like it was nothing. "Said you've been helping her. And the little girl."
I kept my face flat.
Of course he had. Bryce sitting at a family table, sliding Jamie's name across it between courses. Watching to see who picked it up. I wondered how long he'd been doing that and if Sunday dinner was the first time.
I didn't give Amber anything.
She watched me for a beat longer than she should have. Then she let it go.
"Are you two together?"
I didn't answer that either.
She took that in with a deep breath. Softened her face into something careful.
"I've missed you, Sam."
"Amber."
"Just let me say this." She stepped closer. "I know things got hard after Jack. I know I pushed. I shouldn't have. I should have given you space instead of asking you to show up at my mom's events. I know that now." Her eyes held mine. "But we were good together. We were. And I've been thinking a lot about what we had, and I think if we just—started over, if we took the pressure off, we could have that again."
I looked at her.
There was a time she could have said half of that and I'd have been looking for a way to make the conversation easier for her. Finding an excuse. Letting her leave thinking there was a door left open.
I wasn't that man anymore.
"I'm sorry, Amber. But I don't want that."
Her face fell. "Because of her? Jamie?"
"Because of me." I pushed off the brick. "I spent a long time not knowing what I wanted. Going along with whatever was easiest. That's not who I want to be anymore."
"Sam—"
"I hope you find what you're looking for. I really do. But it's not me."
I walked back inside.
I didn't look back.
CHAPTER 26
Jamie
"Uncle Sam!"
Rosie broke free of my hand before I could catch her. She ran across the baggage claim at a dead sprint, her backpack bouncing against her shoulders. Sam dropped into a crouch just in time to catch her. He scooped her up and stood with her against his chest and closed his eyes.
He looked at me over Rosie's shoulder with that smile.
Two weeks had put an edge on me I hadn't known I was carrying until right now, watching it leave.
"Hey."
He pulled me in with his free arm and I let myself land. The three of us in the middle of the airport, strangers moving around us, and for a second I couldn't tell whose heart I was feeling against my chest. I pressed my face into his shoulder.
