Page 10 of Amnesty

He smirked. “I know.”

“What the fuck are you doing here?” I asked. As fun as this was, I had better things to do than shoot the shit with him while I stood around in my boxers.

He laid a hand over his chest. “You wound me.”

“You should seek counseling.” I deadpanned and started to shut the door in his face.

His palm thumped against the wood when he slammed it down to push the door wide again. “You stood me up.”

“Eddie?” Amnesia’s voice called out from behind me. Both Robbie and I spun around as though we’d been caught doing something we weren’t supposed to.

“Um, whoa.” Robbie whistled below his breath behind me.

In the center of my back, I felt my shoulder blades slam together. I glanced around, giving him a hard look. “You better keep those eyes up.” I warned.

“You think so low of me.”

“That’s because I’ve known you for a long ass time.”

“And this is why it’s so painful you stood me up today.” He made a sound like he might cry. “On our annual date day.”

Shit. “That’s today?”

“What’s today?” Amnesia asked.

“Second Tuesday of every October.” Robbie tapped on the pretend watch around his wrist.

I cursed. “Sorry, man. I haven’t been able to keep up with time lately.”

His eyes went past me toward Am. “You have a good reason.”

I glanced back around to see her watching him curiously. I sighed. “Am, Robbie. Robbie, Am.”

Robbie let himself into my house, across the living room, and shoved his hand out to Am. “Nice to meet ya, finally.”

I growled. “Do not even think about touching her when she’s not wearing pants.”

Amnesia gasped. Robbie laughed.

“What happens on the second Tuesday of every October?” she asked.

“Paintball,” Robbie answered.

I watched her mind work, brow furrowing. Seconds later, she looked at me. “What’s paintball?”

Robbie and I looked at each other.

He grinned. “Oh, this is going to be fun.”

“This is ridiculous.” I said, still not even sure what we were doing.

Eddie paused in his task, the rattling of the plastic bag silenced when he stopped to give me his trademark grin. “But fun, yeah?”

His smile was infectious, and even though I was standing in the middle of some cornfield while he strapped a plastic grocery bag over my casted wrist, I found myself beaming just as wide. Though I knew my grin wasn’t as ornery. Or able to make people literally stop and glance my way.

People actually did that. The more I went out in public with Eddie, the more and more I realized just how drawn to him everyone was.

His chuckle was low and deep as he returned to making sure my cast was completely covered.

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