Page 47 of Girl Like Me

“She’s coming home with me!” Chev shouts as Echo steps forward blocking Chloe as she curls into Mossy.

“I don’t think you heard me. She isn’t going anywhere with you. Anyone who makes my girl cry is not a friend of mine.”

“Your girl?” Chev scoffs. “You don’t even know her.”

Echo steps up to Chev so they are chest to chest. Echo is slightly taller and leaner than Chev but not by a lot. I drag the guys closer in case anything goes down.

“I know that she’s smart, beautiful and someone I want to get to know.”

“You just see her as a conquest, a tight pussy to fuck if she lets you between her legs.”

Echo’s hand balls into a fist. “Like you did? You treated her like a whore and when she walked away you didn’t like it. Well guess what bro, I treat my girl like a queen and will worship the ground she walks on. The only tears she has to worry about around me are ones of joy. So get the fuck out of here with the toxic crap that spews from your mouth.”

“She’s mine,” Chev demands.

“She may still love you but you lost her,” he says, poking Chev in the chest. “Real men don’t treat women the way you do.”

Chev laughs in Echo’s face. “You’re nothing but a two bit drug dealer with no future. You think someone like you deserves someone like her.”

“Oh god no. I don’t deserve her but that isn’t my choice to make, so I will worship the ground she walks on until she realises that.”

With that Echo pushes Chev and just before any fists can be thrown my uncle slapsChev on the shoulder.

“You know my rules boys, no fists are thrown outside of the ring. It looks like you now have your next opponent Echo.”

Chev goes to protest but thinks better of it, you don’t argue with my uncle. These are his streets and once he has you in his sights, you fall in line.

I smile, extremely giddy. I remembered that, it wasn’t a flashback, just an ingrained memory. I might just remember everything soon enough.

There are only a few days until formal and I’ve been super nervous about asking the guys if they would go with me, as my dates. I left it until the last minute and feel terrible. I had to confirm first that we could bring outside dates. The guys have been undecided about going to theirs because only students can attend. I asked my father last night if he could make a call and find out if the guys can come to mine.

I’ve been sitting in the kitchen for about ten minutes now, drinking coffee when Carter walks in and grabs a box of cereal and milk plopping down beside me.

“Any memories coming back yet?” I shake my head as he sighs. “Mum thinks you need to go back to the hospital. Maybe they can help get them back.”

“Over my dead body am I going back.” I snap.

“I told her that, but it doesn’t help that you broke it off with Sebastian. The old you understood how important family business connections are.”

“Well, we could fix all of that easily.” he muses , shoving a spoonful of muesli into his mouth.

“How?” I question.

“We could get married,” he murmurs. I choke on my sip of coffee I just took, spitting it all over the island.

“You’re my brother, that is all kinds of messed up.”

Carter laughs. “I’m your step brother.”

I turn to look at him. “No one thought to tell me that, and mum?”

“Step mother, yours and Milo’s mother died when you were a baby. Dad met my mother when we were one. No one told you because it’s not something that we even think about anymore.”

“So why would you want to marry me?”

“To protect you. Mum can’t have you committed if she is no longer your guardian.”

“And what’s in it for you?” I ask because there is always something.

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