Page 61 of Forget Me Not

Reed

Present Day

I’ve been on edge ever since my father’s comments about Gun. Took me all of twenty minutes of searching his secretary’s computer to figure out what the hell he was talking about. Then, feeling on edge went straight into leaping over it, ready to tackle everyone who’s ever tried to keep me from Cooper. Everyone who’s thought they had the right to fuck with my life.

Now that I’m here, face to face with the man who thought he could steal my girl right out from under me, I’m back to internally climbing the walls by my fingernails. The last thing I want, is for Cooper to see me as petty or jealous. Exposing Gun has to be done with care and calculation. I can’t let him get to me.

“You know, it’s been bugging me,” I say, in the most rational way possible, ”that you said we never knew each other. I mean, how is that possible? If you and Cooper have always been best friends, why didn’t our paths cross back then?”

I watch Gun’s jaw grind back and forth. He’s uncomfortable. Good. He should be.

“He stayed away for my sake, forus,” Cooper answers for him. “I wanted you guys to meet, to be friends, but Gun and Ed both thought it would scare you off, having them around. So, they backed off. Let us get to know each other on our own.”

Shit. I’m off track already. “How noble,” I mutter, unable to contain my aggravation. “But what about after. When we were together. In love. Talking about marriage. What about then? Why stay away then?” I press on. I want him to tell her. I want him to be the bearer of bad news just once.

“He was in Georgia.” Cooper is still speaking for him, protecting him. “He was there for an internship and wound up staying. Why does it matter? What did you think the reasons were?”

“I don’t think,” I say, confidence growing again, “I know. Gun was in Georgia, but it wasn’t just for some internship. He was in prison.”

She scowls at me. Maybe it really is impossible for her to see him for who he really is. I don’t know what the hell kind of hold he has over her, but I’m determined to break it and set her free once and for all.

“Don’t,” she hisses at me. “Don’t do that. I don’t know what you think you know, but you’re getting everything twisted up. Yeah, Gun got in trouble a lot back then. We both did. But we never went to prison. We were minors, it was juvy, the occasional holding cell and group homes. Not much better, but it was both of us. Not just Gun.” She takes a step back, as though she’s trying to shield him from me. “That internship changed his life. He took what he learned and he built something for himself, out ofnothinghe built it. I don’t care how angry you are - I’m pissed, too - you can’t come here and try to undermine all his hard work. You have no idea what it took, what it means for him, for all of us, that he broke the cycle and made something of himself.”

I can’t help but laugh. “Damn, Gun. Youaregood. You’ve really got her fooled.” I shake my head. “I may not remember shit from before the accident, but I can read records just fine. Gun was arrested almost two weeks before the accident for nearly beating a man to death. He refused bail and was rotting away in some medium security prison waiting for his day in court when my father decided to make a few calls on his behalf to get him out.”

“You shouldn’t have told her that,” Gun growls.

“No,” Cooper spins around to face him, “Youshould have! What the hell is he talking about? Who did you beat up?”

He turns away. “It’s not important.”

His desire to continue to hide things only makes the words surge from my mouth faster. “Ray Harris.”

She turns back toward me at the mention of his name. Recollection pools on her face. I hadn’t counted on her knowing who he was.

“Ray Harris?” she asks, her voice quivering, tears spilling from the corners of her eyes. Slowly she moves back to facing him. “How?”

“It was a job,” Gun says, no trace of anger remaining, “I showed up to work on a house that belonged to an older couple, a couple that had been raising foster kids for years, it was supposed to be my ‘give back’, something Kev has all his guys do, a pro-bono gig to pay forward what he gives to us. I was stoked, Coop. I felt so fucking good, having that job, having that chance to do something positive for someone else, someone like us, then Old Ray stepped out of the front door...and I just...snapped.”

Something is wrong. I missed something. Something important. Because she’s not pissed anymore. She’s crying. She’s hugging him. And he’s holding her, comforting her. This is wrong. All wrong.

“Are you kidding me? Cooper, you can’t seriously be okay with all of this!”

“Does she look okay to you?!” Gun snaps, turning her farther outer of my grasp, as if he needs to shield her from me.

“I’m not the fucking bad guy here!” I reach out and clasp my hand around her arm, attempting to free her from him and his twisted web, but she squirms out of my grip. And his.

“You’re not,” she agrees. “I am. I’m the one who’s screwing everything up. I’m always the one screwing things up. First for Gun, and now for you. I’m sorry, Reed. I’m so so sorry for what this has done to you.”

“You have nothing to feel sorry for. You haven’t done anything wrong. It was all Gun. And my father!”

“Would you shut up already! Can’t you see that all of this rehashing of the past is only making things worse?” Gun flies at me from his side of the room, stopping short when he reaches the barrier between us – Cooper.

“Oh, please. Just stop, Gunnar. You and I both know this isn’t about protecting Cooper, this is about protecting you. And frankly, your little act is getting old,” I sneer, snaking my arm around her waist. My moment of comfort is short lived however as she steps out of my embrace seconds later.

“You both need to stop. Enough!” she shouts, “I won’t have you fighting over me. I can’t be won, Reed. You can’t stake your claim on me and think it will erase all the years I’ve known Gun, or all that we’ve done for each other. I get that you’re frustrated and angry. You have every right to be. But, you’re wrong about Gun. He hasalwaysput me first. Always. He doesn’t know how not to.”

Calculation and care go right out the window. I’m exposing this asshole right now.

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