Page 81 of Forget Me Not

I turn from her before the anxiety that’s been bubbling in my stomach all day at having Reid around my family can spew over. Stepping into my bedroom to put some distance between us, I squint against the pale light illuminating from the bedside lamp.

It’s just today and tomorrow. How bad can it be?

Unfortunately, when I turn back to Mom and see her chewing on her lip, I realize there’s no escaping this conversation.

“He’s just a friend, Mom.”

She shoots me a bored look. One that says she doesn’t believe me. “So is your father.”

Of course, I know I’m lying. I spent the night wrapped in the man’s arms, just last night. He . . . touched me.

Mom doesn’t need to know that, though.

“It’s nothing serious.”

“Sure looked serious. To him, anyway.”

Now I know she’s making stuff up.

She shrugs, sitting down on the edge of the bed. “He’s handsome. Got real strong shoulders.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose and try to ignore the fact that my mother just essentially told me she thinks Reid’s hot. Of course, I knew already, but there’s something about hearing her say it.

“And he’ll be gone in a couple weeks.”

“Why Alaska?”

“He got offered some big fishing job.”

“And he took it?”

“Well, yeah,” I muse, busying myself with tidying up just so I don’t have to meet her gaze. “It’s a great job.”

“It sounds dangerous.”

“All fishing jobs are dangerous, Mom. Water is dangerous.”

She’s quiet for so long I have to look up from the paints I’m rearranging for absolutely no reason.

“I’m just saying, perhaps he’d be interested in staying, if you give him a reason to.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Nova.”

“Did you ask me in here so you can try to convince me to beg Reid to stay?”

“Nova Leigh,” she scolds, though there’s a blush creeping up her cheeks. Busted.

“He won’t stay, Mom. He’s said it himself already. Besides . . . I don’t want him to stay.”

“Why, Nova?” she presses, still not picking up on the hint that I don’t want to talk about this.

I slam the metal tray of paints down so hard my entire easel rattles beside me. “Because I promised Jack!”

Finally, the emotions bubble over and everything I’ve wanted to say to literally everyone since Reid showed up in town come flooding to the surface. Everything screaming in my head since that night Jack and I went into the Mississippi and only I resurfaced.

Silence falls over the room and neither of us move or make a sound save for my heavy breathing.

---