Page 103 of Forgotten Pieces

I nod as I grab his hands to look at them next. “You were in Towson.”

“Fuck,” he says as he pulls his hands out of mine and grabs his head, leaning over.

“It’s okay, Ry. You don’t have to explain anything.”

He lifts his head and nods at me, wincing as he straightens his back.

I lift his shirt up and see a giant bruise forming on his ribs. I press a bag of ice to it but he pulls it away quickly.

“Can we lay down in the back? I think it will hurt less.”

I nod as I help him out of the truck. I find a blanket in the back seat and lay it in the truck bed.

He climbs in and I follow with my bag of ice and a bottle of water.

He takes the ice out of my hand and presses it back to his side as he wraps an arm around my shoulder. “I remember. I got drunk.”

I smirk at him. “I can tell.”

“I don’t know what I was thinking.”

I look up at him. “You weren’t thinking. You were drunk.”

“I never should have driven to his house.”

“Why did you?” I ask.

“He’s the reason my mom is dead, Tacoma. I know it.”

I grab his hand. “Your mom had a heart attack Ry. Side effect of her disease.”

He clenches his fist as he shakes my hand loose. “No. My uncle said he saw my stepdad pulling out of the driveway as he was pulling up that day. She had a bruise on her face. He fucking hit her and then she died.”

“I’m sorry, Ry.”

“I wasn’t going to go into his trailer. After I talked to you, it cleared my head. I just knew I had to get out of there but I was too drunk to drive. I don’t even know how I drove to his place. But he must have seen me outside. He broke the window of my truck and dragged me out. We fought, physically, verbally. But then you showed up and he said those vile things to you.”

I press my hand to his chest. “I didn’t take any of it to heart, Ry.”

“I don’t remember anything after that.”

I am sure he doesn’t want to know Mac was there. And I know Mac won’t bring it up. So I tell him a half truth. “You knocked your stepdad out after he said those things to me. Then you passed out. I dragged you back to the truck.”

“I never should have put you in this situation, Tacoma.”

“It’s what we do for the ones we love.” I freeze after I say it.Is it true?Do I really love him?

He kisses my forehead and we fall asleep in the back of the truck.

* * *

Ryder

I wake up in pain, my body feeling broken. But my arms are wrapped around the most beautiful girl I have ever met. Her head rests on my arm and she snores lightly. I look around and see the sun not yet ready to peek over the horizon.

That means we still have a few moments here. The one time where I will be able to wake up with the girl I love in my arms.

She practically said those words to me last night but I know they scared the shit out of her. They scare the shit out of me.

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