Like We Used To (Book 1)

25. Things will never be the same.

Mandy’s POV

I had finally gotten to Alisha and Joel’s place with Jimmy and Leana. As usual things with Brian didn’t go to well. I felt like crap, but letting my sister down after everything we had been through recently definitely wasn’t an option.

I walked into the living room to see Alisha rocking Baby Robin to sleep, while Val and Linzi talked with her. I couldn’t bring myself to tell the girls what happened. I just wished that Jimmy and Leana could stay quiet about it. I knew that Alisha was finally happy and I wouldn’t ruin that for her.

“Mandy! It’s about time you got here. Where have you been?” Linzi asked.

“I was just with Jimmy and Leana, waiting on them to get ready so we could show up together.” She smiled and gestured for me to sit with them.

Just as I sat down the doorbell rang.

“Mandy can you get that?” I nodded my head at Alisha and walked to the door. Just as I was about to open Matt got in front of me and reached for the handle.

I shrugged my shoulders and let him go by.

He barely cracked the door and I heard Brian’s voice. Matt slipped out the door, but not before looking at me with a sympathetic smile.

I didn’t think anything of it, I just continued to talk to the girls.

Matt’s POV

“Brian what the hell are you doing here with her?!” I was beyond pissed at him. I knew that Michelle was my sister in law, but her Val never really got a long after she cheated on Brian.

What made me even more pissed was the fact that this was Alisha’s house and he knew that Mandy would be here.

“I don’t see anything wrong here Matt.”

“Dude you know that this Ali’s house. Why the hell would you bring Michelle here when Mandy is inside?”

He shrugged and nodded towards the window where you could clearly see Carey. “She didn’t see any problem in inviting him.”

“Are you fucking kidding me right now?! She came here with Jimmy and Leana. He was already here when she got here because Joel and Ali invited him.”

“Whatever man. I don’t care can I go inside now?”

“You or the douchebag you have become?” He rolled his eyes and pushed me away. “You need to learn to mind your own damn business Matt. Come on Michelle.”

I stood there and waited to hear any kind of commotion, but nothing happened.

Carey’s POV

I looked to see who was walking in.

First it was Brian and then some girl walked right behind him holding his hand. The girl looked a lot like Val. That’s when I put two and two together.

I waited for a reaction from Mandy as probably everybody else was, but there was nothing she simply glanced at them and walked away. I followed her upstairs to what looked like a guest room.

“Mandy? You alright?”

She nodded.

“I know this is probably isn’t a good time, there probably won’t ever be a good time, but I need to tell you something.”

“What is it Carey?”

I walked up to her and held her close. “I miss you. I miss you every day. And I’ve told everyone here that I didn’t come back for you, but I did. Of course I did. I still love you Mandy.”