Page 14 of Forget Me Not

I scoff. “How do you figure?”

“You’re the most important thing in the world to me, Coop. Twist and turn shit all you like, but when it comes down to it, you’re not any less protective of me than I am of you. We’re all the other has. And we both know it.”

His words pierce my heart and I turn my head quickly so he won’t see. I don’t even know why. He didn’t say anything mean, or even untrue. We have been all the other has ever had. We depend on each other. Need each other. I close my eyes. New thoughts are floating to the surface of my mind. Or maybe they’re old thoughts I’ve kept shoved away for a reason. Either way, I don’t want to see them. Don’t want to focus on them long enough to hear the words spelled out. There’s a painful difference between need and want. And for the first time in eight years I can feel it.

“It’s not always going to be that way,” I huff, spending an excessive amount of time fluffing my pillow before I ball it up again and press it to my core.

“You and me?” He seems surprised. “Yeah, it is.”

“No, it’s not.” I punch the pillow in my lap. “Someday, maybe sooner than you think, you’re not going to be all I’ve got. Someone else may actually want to be with me.”

He sits up straighter, taken aback. His face is blank but his eyes are studying me. “As soon as Friday night, huh? What are you saying, Reed McAllister isthe one?”

I know he’s mocking me. I don’t care. Joke’s on him this time. “Yeah. I think he might be.”

He stares at me for a small eternity before he presses his lips together into a thin, forced smile and nods. “Good. You deserve it.”

I do. “Thanks. I really appreciate you supporting this. I know it’ll be weird, letting someone new in, but I promise you’ll like him if you just give him a chance.”

His expression softens and I get a glimpse of the guy only I ever get to see.Sweet Gun. “As long as he keeps making you smile that dopey ass smile you’ve had all week, I’ll like him just fine.”

I can feel myself blush as I bite back the grin fighting its way to the forefront. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I never do dopey ass anything.”

He laughs. “Sure, you don’t.” He spins in the chair, turning his back on me. “Now then, how about we do some homework so you don’t get grounded before Friday night.”

“Grounded? You’ve met Mags, right?”

But he can’t be swayed. Books are coming out. Pens are being tossed in my direction. We’re doing homework. Together. For the same class. Like it’s normal. Only this won’t ever not be weird.

CHAPTER NINE

Three weeks it’s been since our first date. Three weeks and countless amazing kisses later and I’m still struggling to believe my luck. Reed McAllister. My very own Prince Charming. Now all I need to do is learn to summon blue birds from my bedroom window and I’m but a hop, skip and a royal ball away from finding my fairy tale happily ever after. I could live with that.

I can even live with his crazy sister. Kerri. Even from the kitchen where we’re sitting, working on a group project, I can hear her tires squeal in their driveway, announcing her arrival back home. I heard stories about her at school, but they were nothing compared to the real deal.

Reed doesn’t acknowledge her homecoming, nor the impending doom which always seems to follow wherever Kerri goes. His commitment to denial is short lived however. Before we know it, she bursts through the door, leans over his chair and stares him straight in the eyes.

"Can you get herpes from a carnival ride? Asking for a friend."

He scowls. “I don’t need to know about your slutty friends and their genital issues, Kerri.”

She shrugs and turns her attention to me, clearly still seeking an answer, which I’m pretty sure I don’t have.

“I think ‘your friend’,” and I use the air quotation marks, just in case she’s not aware I know what that’s code for, “probably needs a doctor.”

“Come on, you must know something,” she insists.

I put down my pen and give up on writing for the moment. “Why must I?”

“You know, growing up in the system...running away all the time...living on the streets with that guy...you’ve definitely been around enough to know where you can and cannot pick up a little...skin irritation.”

The big textbook Reed was flipping through a second ago lands on the kitchen table with a loud thud. “You did not just say that to my girlfriend.”

Her eyes widen. “Girlfriend? Really? I didn’t realize it was so serious already.” She leans toward him again and whispers, as if I won’t be able to hear, “Do Mom and Dad know?”

I’m going to say no. Though they’ve been told. They’re simply moving forward with denial. Not that I’m surprised. I’m not what you might call a great catch around the country club.

Reed’s face turns noticeably darker. “Kerri,” he growls, but she’s hardly bothered. In fact, it seems it’s my turn again.

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