Page 35 of Forget Me Not

I close my eyes and count to ten. Deep breath. “So...it was in Mom’s best interest.”

Kerri catches on a little too late that she misspoke. She’s about to attempt to fix it when the sound of the front door flying open draws both of our attentions.

“Reed? REED!” Sam comes tearing around the corner and doesn’t stop until she’s pressed to me tightly, peppering my face with a million kisses. She’s so relieved to see me, she barely breaks to breathe until she’s covered every inch of my face with her soft, frantic lips.

“I was so worried about you,” she whispers, cradling my chin in her small palms. She pushes up on her tiptoes to plant another kiss onto my mouth. “You scared me, running off like that.”

“I’m sorry.” I am. Until this very moment, I’d pushed Sam so far to the back of my mind it was easy to pretend that walking away from her would be easy. Simple. Painless. Because, after all, I’ll be walking toward Cooper when I do. And, even if Sam doesn’t know it yet, I’ll be setting her free to find the man she’s meant to be with. It’s not me. It can’t be me.

Thing is, standing here with her, taking in the scent of her perfume and feeling her warmth seeping into my chest and remembering how she clings to me, needs me, there’s no room for that sort of denial anymore. It’s Sam. And I love her. Not like I love Cooper, but enough to make me think spending the rest of my life with her would be a pretty damn good way to spend my life. Up until a week ago anyway.

“Where were you?” Her big brown eyes are sparkling with tears.

I clear my throat. “I had some things I needed to sort out.”

She fists the front of my shirt with her hands, tugging me down closer to her. “You silly, stupid man. Don’t you know that you’re supposed to take me with you to sort things out? That’s what giving me that ring was all about. You and me, together. Through everything. No matter what.”

“I wish I could have come to you with this, I really do.” I glare at my sister over the top of Sam’s head. She did this. Must have texted her from the foyer. That’s why she was moving so slowly. Luring me in with the promise of an explanation was nothing but another bullshit excuse. I can’t keep doing this. Better to just rip off the lies like an old Band-Aid and see what I find underneath. “I had to go and find Cooper.”

Sam’s brow crinkles. Finally, someone who hasn’t been lying to me.

“Who’s Cooper?”

My relief is short lived. Because now I have to tell her. And I have to walk away from her after I do, something I know would be infinitely easier if I had a reason to hate her.

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Cooper

I’m standing in the middle of my room, still wearing the same wet clothes from my visit with Gun. I don’t know how long I’ve been standing here. I walked in, not paying attention. I walked in not knowing where I was going. Wasn’t until I looked up. Then I understood. Then I stopped. And I haven’t moved since. So, I’m standing here. Staring at my closet. A sick desire to go and sit inside it.

Only I can’t.

Because Gunnar had all the closets built without doors when he remodeled this place three years ago.

Chapter Eight

Gun

7Years Earlier

“You can stop staring a hole in my shoulder,” I mutter, “I know it was you, Ed.”

I can hear the shuffle of books and his backpack stop behind me. “He asked. I didn’t know what to do, man.”

I zip up my own pack and turn around, grinning at him. “Because you’re the worst fucking liar in the history of liars? Yeah, dude. I know.” I slide the strap of my backpack over my shoulder and start walking out of the room. It’s time for school. I still have the same bitch for first period, but today I can’t wait to get there. Thanks to Mr. B, we’re getting a new girl in school. Cooper.

I stop when I’m shoulder to shoulder with Ed and give him a solid pat on his. “We’re cool.”

“We are?”

I nod and start moving toward the door again. “Yeah. Now let’s go. I smell eggs and bacon and I don’t want to miss out.”

Cooper was right. Living in a house where people care enough to cook you breakfast is a pretty big fucking deal.

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Reed

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