Page 13 of Make Me Remember

“What’s up? I see you in a better mood today.”

I bit my bottom lip, trying to restrain a smile. “I am.”

“Good. I thought I was gonna have to rough yo’ lil ass up.” He chuckled before I could say anything. “I was actually somewhat impressed, and that shit don’t happen often. His punk ass sitting on the couch waiting for you.”

“You aren’t staying?”

“Naw. I just wanted to make sure you got yo’ ass here on time this time.”

I slowly shook my head and made my way to Jacob’s family room. He smiled when he saw me. “How you doing, Miss Chatmon?”

“I’m good, Jacob. How are you?”

His eyebrows lifted. “Jacob, huh? So I can call you Mekayla?”

“Yes.”

“Damn. Okay.”

He stood from his seat and shook my hand. I stared at him a little longer than I intended. I could only imagine his long arms wrapped around me. He was so much taller than me, and I loved that shit. I was only five feet four. Before I could pull away, he pulled me in his arms. When I slid my arms around his waist, I felt him shudder. I quickly pulled away and smiled at him then sat. He did the same on the couch across from me.

“So how were the past couple of days?”

“Hell, until now. My knee has been killing me, and my ankle hasn’t been any better. Surprisingly, my ribs hadn’t bothered me as much.”

“So what changed?”

“What’chu mean?”

“You said it’s been hell until now.”

“You’re here, letting your guard down somewhat.”

I smiled slightly and looked at my notes from two days ago. Before I’d gone into the diner, I’d written down what areas I touched that caused him to flinch or wince.

“How were the past couple of days for you?”

I looked up at him and smiled. “They were a bit rough until yesterday afternoon.”

“What happened yesterday afternoon?”

“I saw my dad for the first time in twenty years. I still can’t believe I saw him, and I can’t believe that I agreed to get to know him again.”

His eyebrows lifted, probably in shock that I had revealed so much. “Damn. Well, I’m happy for you. Were y’all close before?”

“No. Actually, I wasn’t close to either of my parents. Neither of them should have been parents back then. He gave me the apology I didn’t realize I needed.”

“That’s good. I wish my biological father was alive to apologize for shit he did. Then he could go back to hell where I know he is.”

I stared up at him with a slight frown on my face. I thought the man I had met at the hospital was his father. Seeing my confusion, he said, “He’s my stepdad. He and my mama got married when I was eighteen.”

“How did your father die?”

“He got shot and killed. Sometimes, I wish I was the one that had done the honors. He was an evil muthafucka and showed my mother just how evil he could be almost every day. When I was seventeen, I had had enough. I told my mama if he put his hands on her again, I was gon’ fuck him up. I mean… I didn’t say it like that, but my point was made.”

“Wow. We have a lot of traumas between the two of us. Maybe that’s why our spirits feel drawn to each other, like you said the other day.”

He nodded then his head snapped up as I chuckled. “You feel that shit too? I’m not alone in this?”

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