Page 67 of Forgotten Pieces

“It won’t.” I force a smile. “Only good ones.”

I turn on some jazz music on my phone and crank the volume. I walk Tacoma through the basics and then we start dancing. She trips over my feet about fifteen times in the first few minutes and I can’t stop myself from laughing.

“This is pointless,” she says frustrated.

“Everything takes practice, T.”

She puts her arm back on my shoulder. “Fine. Let’s try again.”

We spend every night at the lake for the next week, spending more time getting to know each other and a lot of time dancing. She has gotten better every day and seems to enjoy it.

The closer we get the harder it gets for me to keep my feelings out of whatever the hell it is we are doing.

It’s wrong.

It’s wrong to feel something for this girl. But when we are together, I don’t see an age difference. I see two people struggling to find their way. Even though I am twenty-five, I still have no idea what I am doing. But every day I spend with Tacoma I feel a little bit closer to finding myself, finding the man I want to be. I would be lying to myself if I said she doesn’t make me want to be a better man. Because she does. With every day we spend together, I want to be the type of man that’s a good man like she always tells me. And every day we spend together it feels a little easier to see myself as a good man. I might not be one now, but I know someday soon I will feel like I am.

I spin Tacoma around and drop her into a huge dip as the song comes to an end.

I pull her up and she laughs. “I can’t believe I didn’t trip once!”

“You didn’t. You even managed to hold that dip without laughing,” I joke. It seems every time I have tried to dip her over the last week she laughs and I always end up nearly dropping her.

“I am so nervous,” she tells me.

“You’re gonna do great.”

“I hope so.”

* * *

Tacoma

I look at my watch impatiently. Ryder said he would meet me here ten minutes ago. He is never late. He is the most punctual guy I know. So it worries me that he isn’t here yet.

I had my audition two days ago. The results are posting on the high school portal tonight and I wanted Ryder to be here when I looked. Because I know if I don’t make it, he will comfort me and make me feel better.

I hear the crunch of shoes and look up to see him walking toward me. He has a grave look on his face and it automatically makes me worry about his momma. “Are you okay?” I ask as he reaches the rock.

He scrubs his hands over his face. “Yeah. Sorry I’m late. Just had some shit happen.”

I grab his hand and pull him next to me. “What happened?”

He looks up at me and pushes a piece of hair behind my ear. Such an intimate gesture, I look at him confused. “Tonight is about you, Tacoma.”

I shake my head. “No Ryder, we come here for us. Seven for a secret.”

He sighs before speaking. “I found out how my mom has been getting booze and smokes. We locked everything up in the house so she couldn’t get to it. But somehow she still did.”

“How?” I ask.

Ryder bites his bottom lip, turmoil circling those dark eyes. “My stepdad moved back to Towson when he found out my mom ran here. He’s been supplying her.”

“Shit, Ry,” I say as I grab his hand.

“Yeah. I don’t know why she is regressing like this. It fucking sucks.” He blows out a deep breath. “But enough about me. Are the results posted yet?”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” I ask.

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