Hello Enott1,
Thanks for posting in the Apple Support Communities.
It sounds like you're trying to view your iCloud Mail, but not seeing that it shows as read until you click "Read", right?
If we have this correct, let's see if the following information is able to help. If you're viewing the mail online at iCloud.com, you should be able to select the message in the message list to have it show as read. Let's have you give this a try again, and you can locate additional information on viewing Mail online: Read email in Mail on iCloud.com - Apple Support
Read a message
In Mail on iCloud.com, click Inbox, then do any of the following:
• Read a message: Select the message in your message list.
• See a list of messages in a different mail folder: Click the folder in the Mailboxes list. For example, click Sent in the sidebar to see a list of messages you sent.
If you're using a Mac, check out the information below to see if adjusting the preferences will allow you to use Mail as you'd like. You can find additional details on the settings, here: Change Viewing settings in Mail on Mac - Apple Support
To change these settings in the Mail app 
on your Mac, choose Mail > Settings, then click Viewing.
Mark all messages as read when opening a conversation
Mark all unread messages in a conversation as read when you view the primary message of the conversation.
Show most recent message at the top
Display the most recent message in a conversation first in the preview area. If the checkbox is deselected, the oldest message appears first.
If that doesn't help, provide more details on how you're viewing your email. We'll have a better understanding of how to help with those details to provide accurate information for you.
Have a great day!
