Page 63 of Never Forever

I leaned forward, looking past Weidman at my sweaty nemesis.

“Yeah,” he said. “it’sChildren of the Corn. You need corn.”

“Are you like the artistic director, or something? What are you doing here?”

“Does it bother you that I’m here?” he asked with a small sigh.

“No.” I said. It was his town after all. I was the intruder. I gave him my most wicked smile. “I’m just not used to you having good ideas.”

“Who, Matt?” Weidman said. “He’s full of them.”

“You were the one who didn’t want him running around here,” I reminded her.

“Thanks,” she muttered with a small wince.

“Am I bothering you?” he asked Weidman. “Rachel and I can…”

“You’re just distracting,” Weidman told him. “My cast is…distracted by you.”

Matt was not getting it.

“Geezus, Matt, catch a clue. You’ve got a sick body with an even better ass. You are a thirst trap and they have thrown themselves into it.”

Weidman pointed at me. “Yes. That.”

Matt of course, hated it. Hated a scene. Hated the idea that anyone would look at him.

“I’m just running,” he said. “It’s a public park.”

“You’re right,” Weidman said. “I shouldn’t be policing your body. I should be policing their behavior.”

This incidentally was what Weidman said at the school board meeting ten years ago when my crop tops became an issue.

“I need to build the palletes this week,” Weidman said. “We need corn by tech week.”

“I can help,” I said. Now that the movie was wrapping, all I had left to do was to try and get pregnant. It would be fun to get my hands dirty. Also working with Weidman again? So fun.

“Oh honey!” Weidman said. “That would be lovely.”

“Don’t you have other things to do?” Matt asked. Now it was his turn to look bothered.

“Nope. The movie is wrapping this week.”

“Yes, but then you’re leaving.” Matt said. “Right?”

“I’ll tell Mr. Dickow he’ll have some extra hands,” Weidman said, and she walked away leaving me alone with Matt Sullivan.

At the bandshell.

Our bandshell.

One of the unspoken rules in our war was never to talk about the past.

Remember when we watchedThe Notebookand we both cried, only you pretended you had allergies..?

I’d never wanted to ask because it might give him the chance to say no. Then I’d look like a fool for remembering. For caring.

But I felt the words clawing at my lips.

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