Chapter 7: 

Santa Monica, California- July 2016

“That’s why you’ve hated me for 20 years?” JC asks, aghast

“Josh, we had sex and then you left… for California like two hours later!” 

“Probably not my best move” 

“You think! Maybe it wasn’t a very big deal to you but it was for me…”

“That was your first time?”

“Yes! Sorry, I didn’t think that needed to be advertised or the fact that I was in love with you” she blurts out. JC just stares at her. 

“You were in love with me?” 

“You forgot about me, you found new friends in Florida. What, was I supposed to call you and tell you to come back because I was a stupid teenage girl who was in love with her best friend and he moved away and forgot about me?” 

“Well maybe not quite but wow” JC takes a giant sip of his wine. 

“There’s more…”

“Storytime continues, okay,” he says sarcastically

“I was late. I didn’t figure it out until a few weeks later. I was already at NYU and I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t tell my mom, you had fallen off the face of the earth so I confided in the only person around…my roommate Madison. She took me to the drugstore, I took the test and it was positive. I was scared. I was an 18-year-old pregnant freshman in college in New York City by myself” 

“You’re telling me that we had sex which apparently I somehow blocked from my memory, which is not normal for me, and that I got you pregnant?” JC asks, still reeling from the news

“Yes” 

“And you didn’t tell me because? You know about my life… you should have told me!” 

Mina recalls JC telling her about his adoption when they were 12. 

“You were gone! I had no idea where you were and couldn’t exactly call your mom and tell her you knocked me up and I needed you to come back. But don’t worry there’s no baby Joshmina running around out there in the world” 

“You got an abortion?” he asks calmly

“No! I...I... lost the baby… it happened about 2 weeks after I found out. I didn’t feel right and I woke up in the middle of the night and had Madison take me to the student health center. I was starting to get used to the idea of being a mom and then… I didn’t even tell my family. I couldn’t find the words and to this day, Madison is still the only one who knows” 

“Mina… I’m sorry… god I feel like an ass” 

“Don’t. You and I both know that if I hadn’t lost the baby that you wouldn’t have given up your dreams to live in Bowie the rest of your life” 

“You don’t know that!”

“Josh be real... you would have been miserable!” Mina states. 

JC could picture it though… coming home from work, two little ones running around, Mina pregnant with another. A normal happy life. He smiles at the thought. 

“It’s water under the bridge now. I picked myself back up and got my dream job and well look at you… I called my mom one day and she told me your family was moving to Florida because California hadn’t worked out for you and you were moving back to Orlando, working with that Justin kid. Next thing I knew your face was on my roommate’s wall” Mina explains, pulling him out of his daydream. 

“Yeah…I uh traveled around a bit”

Silence fills the room once again. 

JC speaks up “I wish you were around in those early days. The guys and I bonded and became like brothers but having a friend would have been nice” 

Mina smiles “Now that you know... I don’t want this to change anything. I just figured it was the time you knew the truth” 

“Thanks for finally telling me,” JC replies. Mina’s phone beeps. It was almost 1 am. “I guess I better go, it’s getting late” he adds, standing up. 

“See you tomorrow” Mina states, walking him to the door. JC gives her a quick hug goodbye before walking out. Mina pauses and watches him walk towards his car. She felt relieved as if a huge weight had been lifted. Her secret was finally out and the awkwardness was gone and they could finally work on mending their friendship. But just how was she going to break it to him that that wasn’t the only reason she was holding a grudge.