Page 55 of Forbidden You

I twist around to my father, his eyes are still closed as he’s drifting off to sleep, and I lock eyes with Sheila with a stunned grin sliding up to my ear.

“Sure thing, dad.”

“Thank you for stepping by, Bodi,” Sheila approaches with a smirk, and I shake her hand. “We will see you tomorrow.”

“Have a good night, Sheila.” I saunter out of the room, searching for the brunette who is winning souls wherever she goes, while rubbing a hand over my cheek. When our gazes lock, a smile lights up my face and she rises to follow beside me as we walk toward the elevators.

“So, this is where you go every Wednesday morning?” she asks, pushing the button.

“Yeah.” I stare at my feet. “He has dementia.”

“I figured.” The elevator door opens, and we both get in.

I press my back against the left side of the small room while she takes the left wall across from me. That kind expression of hers fills my chest, making me desperate to wrap her body around mine. To feel her arms around my waist as I breathe in the smell of her fruity shampoo, mixed with the honey scent of her skin. Even simply looking at her lightens my mood, even if it’s just a little.

“What stage?”

“You’re familiar with it.” My brows quirk up in surprise.

“My grandmother had dementia,” she explains with a shrug. “In the end, she thought I was her daughter. I just played along.”

I rub the back of my neck, looking up at the ceiling before my eyes move down to the floor. With no siblings that might understand what I’m feeling, I’ve been struggling with my father’s condition. I talk to Jensen, but he’s in a different state, and I don’t think he can fully understand when he has no clue what any of it means, and it’s not his family. It’s hard when you know that one day your father will slowly start to forget about your existence like you were never born. Just the realization of that makes my stomach turn in agony. The days he doesn’t remember me right away are already becoming more frequent.

“His state is deteriorating. He has a hard time getting dressed. He doesn’t remember much. The last few weeks he’s been forgetting me.” It hurts saying it out loud, but when I bring my eyes back to her and she’s looking at me with understanding, it also feels liberating. Like she gets it, or at least can relate.

Or maybe it just helps to talk to someone about it.

“I’m sorry.”

I just keep staring at her, wondering if I was wrong about her.

Jensen is my best friend, but I haven’t really told him how bad my dad’s condition is lately, yet here is this girl who dropped out of college and makes it a sport to torture me with her silly taunts on a daily basis, now making me wonder if maybe I can truly be her friend. If she can be mine.

If I can trust her with my darkest secrets and my deepest fears.

“It’s okay.” I crack my neck as the doors open and a lopsided grin washes over my face. “You still want burgers?”

“Always.”

“Let’s go, then,” I say, pointing my arm into the hallway.

We make our way to the first drive-thru I can find and we both order burgers that we eat while I drive us home. I still think they taste like shit, but it’s overshadowed by the gratitude I feel of not being alone, and having her sit beside me.

Like she belongs in that seat next to me.

When I park the car underneath my building, the sound of my phone ringing reverberates through the car, and I give Kayla a quick glance. She smiles when she catches the name on the screen.

These moments seem to happen more often. Those side glances, secret smiles, catching gazes. And the scary part is, every single time they stir my organs alive, making my heart swell in a way I can’t control.

I’m not sure I even want to try anymore.

“Why don’t you head up. I’ll see you in a minute.”

She nods, her smile never vanishing as she exits the car and struts to the elevator. My eyes stay focused on the curves of her body until she disappears into the building, and I answer the phone.

“What’s up,hockey boy?” I mock Jensen with the nickname Rae gave him when we drove across the country together.

“Hey, shitface, good news.”

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