Page 26 of Forget Me Not

His gaze is back on Cooper, his hand carefully brushing the hair from her forehead. “I’m Gunnar. We’ve never officially met, but Cooper and I have been friends since we were kids.”

Friends.

I hurry over to the sofa with the cool towel.

His hand comes up toward me. “Thanks.”

I don’t move. “Actually, I’d like to do it.”

“What?” His eyes narrow and his disbelief is mingled with undeniable disgust. I don’t care. He doesn’t have to get it.

“Look, I can’t help that I haven’t been here all this time, but I’m here now and I fully intend to pick up where I left off. I love her. I’ve always loved her. She’s mine to take care of, so thank you for filling in, but I’m here now.”

I don’t really know what I expect him to do next. Bow out, I guess. That’s not what he does though. He gets to his feet, yanks the towel from my grip and stares daggers at me with a set of eyes I’m suddenly damn sure have had years of practice in intimidation and getting their fucking way.

“You want to take care of her? That’s great. She deserves that. But maybe, just maybe, the first thing she sees when she comes to shouldn’t be the face that made her check out to begin with.” He lowers himself back down to tend to her. “I’m not stupid, Reed. Or blind. And unlike you, my memory is perfectly intact. I know who you were to her. Who you’ll always be. I’m not here to compete with that. So, take a fucking step back, relax, and give me a minute.”

Cooper

I can hear Gun’s voice. He’s here. With me. I was dreaming. I know I was. I don’t even want to open my eyes to see the proof. Me in my bed. Gun sitting beside me, on the phone dealing with some business deal and waiting for me to wake up. That’s what I’ll find. No Reed. Just a regular morning after a crazyass dream.

“I know you’re awake again, Coop,” Gun whispers. “Your eyelids are twitching and you’re frowning.”

I am frowning. Why is he always paying attention to the details? Especially when I never notice them. Or notice them too late. Why is my face wet?

“Gun?” I start to sit up as soon as my eyes are open. I’m not in bed. It wasn’t a dream.

His hands are quick to apply pressure to my shoulders, forcing me back into my sofa’s exuberant amount of pillows. It was a harmless collection when it started. Now I’m pretty sure I could win the war of wars in terms of pillow fights, if the world ever had one of those.

“Slow your roll there, Speedy. You just spent a solid five minutes in coma ville. No need to jump up if you’re just gonna pass out again.” He smiles. If you can call it that. Gun’s usual stinginess when it comes to facial expressions of joy is clearly back to normal. Not that I can blame him. Not much here to smile about.

“Gun?” I ask again, this time more urgently. I don’t have to form actual words. He knows what I want to know. What I need to know.

His head drops so his expression is out of sight, but it doesn’t hide his audible sigh.

“He’s here. Reed. He remembers you.”

I gasp. Like a total drama queen, I gasp, just barely catching myself before I clutch my chest too. It’s bad enough I fainted at the sight of him, I can’t go around gasping and clutching as well. “I blacked out.” Talk about stating the obvious. I’m stalling. I’m nervous. Scratch that. I’m fucking terrified. My long lost soulmate and my best friend (who I just happen to be sleeping with) both in the same room. It’s enough to make anyone want to slip into unconsciousness.

“Yeah. You blacked out.” He lifts his brows just high enough to meet my gaze again. He’s worried. I haven’t had an episode like this in a long time.

“I’m fine now.” I’m not fine now. But I need him to think I am. He deserves to think I am. Gun has worried about me more than any one human being should ever have to worry about another one.

He doesn’t smile this time. Not even a little.

“Come on. Slowly.” He moves his hand along my arm and under my elbow to steady me while I get back to my feet.

There he is. Reed. The same beautiful and painfully perfect boy I remember him being. Well, maybe not quite the boy anymore. His shoulders are broader and his face has filled out some, but it’s maintained its exceptionally chiseled jawline, which is now covered in a hot as hell two-day scruff. His hair is still short and neat, but styled differently from before. He’s doing that faux hawk thing so many guys are sporting these days, but for some inexplicable reason it looks like it was uniquely fit for his head of hair. And those eyes. Reed’s baby blue eyes still look like oceans pooling together around some tropical island. Crystal clear and deliciously inviting. I remember thinking being seen by those eyes for the rest of my life would be all the attention I’d ever need. If I was invisible to the rest of the world, I wouldn’t care, as long as those eyes were watching me.

“I still can’t believe this is happening.” I say it more to myself than anyone else, but Reed and Gun are both here, so they both hear me.

“I know. Me either.” It’s the first I’ve heard his voice outside of saying my name. It’s deeper now. More grown up. Less carefree.

Gun is behind me. Even without turning around, I can feel him putting distance between us. I can’t look. He’s going to leave and I can’t stop him. Or maybe Ishouldstop. But I can’t, because stopping him for my own selfish reasons would be wrong, and stopping him because I’ve made my choice, because I know it’s him...is impossible. I know nothing. Except that I’d really like to black out again.

Gun walks past me on his way to the door. He nods at Reed. “She better be conscious when I get back.” He’s joking. Sort of.

Then he’s gone without saying goodbye to me. Without even looking me in the eye. Maybe because he knows I can’t hide shit from him. Maybe, this once, even he’s afraid of what he might see.

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