The One Left Behind (The One Series) by Lena Nicole Read Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lena Nicole
his number into my phone, although I don’t think I’ll be using it anytime soon. After programming his number, I scroll through the phone and locate Colby’s number. I hit her name and smile as her picture pops up on my screen. The picture was from a night we had gone out for drinks after I finished nursing school and we were both laughing at something funny. It’s one of those candid shots that was taken at the perfect moment.
“Well, well, look who it is! I was starting to think your mother was holding your phone captive and allowing no phone calls.” Colby knows how overbearing my mother can be. She’s been trying to loosen my mom’s belt for a while now.
“Hey, Cole, sorry I’ve been meaning to call you. Things have been nonstop since I got home and I just needed some time to relax by myself.” I sit down on the couch with a huff.
“No worries, Addison. You have a lot on your plate right now, I get it. So what’s up?”
“Well, I wanted to see if you would have time to come over tonight and have a girl’s night at my place.”
“Do you even have to ask? Should I pick up a movie or do you want to just rent something off the demand channel?”
“I was actually hoping you can help me unpack my boxes. It sounds tedious, I know, but I’ll supply the wine and we can still rent a movie after.” There is a minute of silence on the other end. “Colby?”
“I’m here. I’m just making a mental note of how many bottles of wine we’re going to need to get you through this little dilemma.”
Rolling my eyes dramatically at her comment, I decide to make the call short so I don’t have to get into it with her now. “Okay then, does five work for you and I can make us dinner?”
“Five is good and I’ll order take out. It will help the unpacking go faster.”
We say our goodbyes and I hop in the shower to get ready for the day. I do some cleaning and organizing and search through the boxes labeled “bedroom” to find a comfy pair of sweats. At five, Colby comes walking in my condo carrying a bag of Chinese.
She holds it up and says, “Hey, I got you some vegetable lo-mien with white rice and an eggroll.” We have been friends for so long we’re able order for each other without asking.
As we sit down and eat, Colby fills me in on her last three weeks in her fashion design classes and what has been going on with her and her boyfriend, Damon. We finish eating and start to unpack.
“So, where should we start?” Colby asks rubbing the palms of her hands together.
I look around and decide the bedroom is the best place to begin. I’m going back to work soon so I’m going to need to know where my scrubs are. “Bedroom boxes,” I say. “It will be nice to grab an outfit from the closet and not dig through a box.”
As we’re unpacking and hanging up clothes, I’m filling in Colby on my mother’s constant nagging when I pull a picture frame out of a box. It is a picture of me and Colin with a breathtaking sunset behind us. He is standing behind me with his arms wrapped around my waist. My arms are on top his with my head resting on his chest. Written in the sand just before our feet is a heart and our initials. I’m studying the photo and notice how happy we both look. Staring at the picture, my stomach once again ties itself into knots as I think back to how I treated Colin the other day. Looking at this picture, I can see he clearly loves me very much. I need to make things right and apologize. I must have been looking at the picture for a while because Colby, speaking up behind me, brings my attention back.
“Whatcha got there?”
I hand the picture frame over to Colby and let out an aggravated sigh. Colby puts the picture down and embraces me in a hug.
“Addison?”
I shake my head as frustration starts to take over again.
“How am I supposed to do this, Colby? So far my memory has not come back and all I have done is hurt the people who love me. They are all just waiting for
“Well, well, look who it is! I was starting to think your mother was holding your phone captive and allowing no phone calls.” Colby knows how overbearing my mother can be. She’s been trying to loosen my mom’s belt for a while now.
“Hey, Cole, sorry I’ve been meaning to call you. Things have been nonstop since I got home and I just needed some time to relax by myself.” I sit down on the couch with a huff.
“No worries, Addison. You have a lot on your plate right now, I get it. So what’s up?”
“Well, I wanted to see if you would have time to come over tonight and have a girl’s night at my place.”
“Do you even have to ask? Should I pick up a movie or do you want to just rent something off the demand channel?”
“I was actually hoping you can help me unpack my boxes. It sounds tedious, I know, but I’ll supply the wine and we can still rent a movie after.” There is a minute of silence on the other end. “Colby?”
“I’m here. I’m just making a mental note of how many bottles of wine we’re going to need to get you through this little dilemma.”
Rolling my eyes dramatically at her comment, I decide to make the call short so I don’t have to get into it with her now. “Okay then, does five work for you and I can make us dinner?”
“Five is good and I’ll order take out. It will help the unpacking go faster.”
We say our goodbyes and I hop in the shower to get ready for the day. I do some cleaning and organizing and search through the boxes labeled “bedroom” to find a comfy pair of sweats. At five, Colby comes walking in my condo carrying a bag of Chinese.
She holds it up and says, “Hey, I got you some vegetable lo-mien with white rice and an eggroll.” We have been friends for so long we’re able order for each other without asking.
As we sit down and eat, Colby fills me in on her last three weeks in her fashion design classes and what has been going on with her and her boyfriend, Damon. We finish eating and start to unpack.
“So, where should we start?” Colby asks rubbing the palms of her hands together.
I look around and decide the bedroom is the best place to begin. I’m going back to work soon so I’m going to need to know where my scrubs are. “Bedroom boxes,” I say. “It will be nice to grab an outfit from the closet and not dig through a box.”
As we’re unpacking and hanging up clothes, I’m filling in Colby on my mother’s constant nagging when I pull a picture frame out of a box. It is a picture of me and Colin with a breathtaking sunset behind us. He is standing behind me with his arms wrapped around my waist. My arms are on top his with my head resting on his chest. Written in the sand just before our feet is a heart and our initials. I’m studying the photo and notice how happy we both look. Staring at the picture, my stomach once again ties itself into knots as I think back to how I treated Colin the other day. Looking at this picture, I can see he clearly loves me very much. I need to make things right and apologize. I must have been looking at the picture for a while because Colby, speaking up behind me, brings my attention back.
“Whatcha got there?”
I hand the picture frame over to Colby and let out an aggravated sigh. Colby puts the picture down and embraces me in a hug.
“Addison?”
I shake my head as frustration starts to take over again.
“How am I supposed to do this, Colby? So far my memory has not come back and all I have done is hurt the people who love me. They are all just waiting for