Page 75 of Loving Josy
“I’m calling an ambulance. This isn’t normal,” Austin says, already reaching for his phone.
“No,” I manage, waving him off, my voice shaky but firm. “Don’t. I’m okay.”
Austin and Esteban stare at me like I’ve grown a second head.
“Dude, you scared the shit out of us,” Esteban says, his eyes wide.
I start laughing—loud, uncontrollable laughter mixed with tears—and both of them lean back, utterly baffled.
“Are you crying or laughing?” Austin asks, his brow furrowed.
“I remember,” I gasp between laughs. “I remembereverything.”
“For real?” Esteban asks, leaning forward in his chair.
I nod, still laughing and wiping at my face. “Yeah. You said ‘sweetheart,’ and it felt so familiar that it triggered… everything. And then all the memories came flooding back.”
“Man, that’s amazing!” Austin says, clapping me on the back.
Esteban grins, sitting back with a satisfied expression. “Well, if your memory’s back, I guess this is the perfect time to ask… Did we really duct-tape a piñata to the hood of your truck and drive it through town blastingLa Cucaracha,or was that just one of my weird dreams?”
I burst out laughing again, the sound echoing through the trees. “Oh, we definitely did that.”
“What about the time Austin had to be the mascot and fell in front of the whole school?” Esteban grins, eyes locked on Austin.
“Come on now,” Austin groans. “Noah, I really hope you don’t remember that one.”
Noah smirks. “Nope. I remember perfectly—how you fell flat on your face, spilled all the Gatorade, and completely ruined the cheerleaders’ white tennis shoes.”
Esteban pumps his fist in the air. “Knew it! That was a masterpiece.”
Austin groans, shaking his head. “Y’all are insane.”
“Maybe,” I say, grinning at them both. “But I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Now I’m going to surprise Josy with the news.”
“Really? What’s the plan?” Austin asks, leaning forward.
“Oh, I’ve got a great idea,” Esteban says, his grin so wide it’s practically criminal. “First, we hit up TJ Maxx. We’ll get you a pair of sexy underwear. Think somethingspicy.Then, we grab flowers and chocolates. We drop you at Josy’s place, and you whip up a romantic dinner. Take a shower, shave, spritz on some cologne. Then when she walks in, you greet her with the foodandthe goods.”
I blink at him, half-laughing, half-horrified. “Sexy underwear? Like what, exactly?”
“Oh, I’ve seen these boxers with elephants on the front,” Esteban says, eyes gleaming with mischief. “The trunk… well, let’s just say it’sfunctional.”
Austin groans louder, covering his face with his hands. “Why do I even hang out with you?”
I laugh, shaking my head. “You know what? The rest of the plan is solid. Josy’s been taking care of me nonstop for the past three weeks. It’s time I do something nice for her. But I’m drawing the line at the elephant underwear.”
“Coward,” Esteban says, smirking.
“It was worth a shot,” Austin mutters, shaking his head.
“Fine,” Esteban says, waving us off. “But hear me out: boxers with personality. Like my Doritos-themed ones. Every time I wear them, I tell the girl, ‘If you want a piece of my Dorito, all you gotta do is take a bite.’” He finishes with a wink and a ridiculous eyebrow wiggle.
Austin stares at him, deadpan. “How do you come up with this shit?”
“And how does this shit actually work on ladies?” I’ve honestly wondered this for years.
“I’m a creative genius,” Esteban declares, throwing his arms wide.
