Page 84 of Forget Me Not

Someday and somehow, I’m going to make it up to her. She’s going to experience everything she’s missed. I might not be able to give her back her youth, or her teenage years, but I can make her twenties the best possible years of her life.

I get out of the car and meet her where she’s leaning against the front bumper. Placing a hand on the small of her back, I tug her forward until her chest is flush with mine. I peer down into her eyes, searching for a sign that she’s been crying, or is about to. But my girl’s tough as nails and does a damn good job at hiding her emotions. I hate that for her.

“You okay?” I ask, fingers grazing softly over her coat.

“Fine. Why?” Her brows pinch, genuinely confused about my concern for her.

“Just making sure. If you ever wanna talk about—”

“I don’t. I’m fine, Alaric.” She tries to push away from me, but I don’t let her get far.

No, you’re not.I don’t say it, but it's evident. One day Rhea is going to have to talk about the pain she’s endured. Maybe not to me, but hopefully to me. She can’t hold that shit in forever; it’ll destroy her.

“Let’s just go to the party for a bit, so we can leave.” She was so excited to get here, willing to fight me on it. And now? Now she looks like she can’t wait to leave.

My hand slides down and I intertwine our fingers, giving her silent support in the only way I know how. “I like the way you think.”

We walk a few feet forward to where Tyler and Heather are waiting and Tyler looks at Rhea, then shoots me a look of disdain. “What the hell did you do to her?”

“Back off, kid, I didn’t do shit.” Maybe he is a good friend if he can see Rhea is hurting as easily as I can.

“You must have said or done something. She was happy and now she looks miserable.” He looks ready to fight me.

“Tyler,” Rhea snaps. “Alaric didn't do anything. I’m fine.”

He gives me a once-over and tips his chin as if he’s threatening me. Farm Boy is lucky as fuck that Rhea cares about him so much. It’s the only reason he’s still standing right now.

She’s never had friends and I’m letting her keep this one because it’s important to her. However, if he doesn’t learn to mind his own damn business, I might rethink my willingness to let him live.

We head toward the blazing fire that has a crowd gathered around it. Heather seems to be extra quiet tonight, which is odd considering she had so much to say last time I saw her.

“How are you doing tonight, Heather?” I ask, striking up conversation on our walk to the party.

“Doing well, Alaric, thank you.” She tilts her head down, as if she doesn’t really want to talk.

“Have you decided when you’re leaving Lockhaven yet? Or did you still plan to stay for a while?”

“That’s still to be determined.”

I nod slowly. “I see.”

This girl is sketchy as fuck and I don’t like her one bit. She’s up to something and I need to find out what that something is…fast.

There are about fifty or sixty young idiots prancing around with drinks in their hands, acting a fool. Oh to be young again.

But now that I’m not, I don’t enjoy this shit one bit. I’d rather be anywhere than here. I’d really like to be somewhere alone with my girl. At least I’ve got her on my arm where she’s safe. That’s the only perk of being at this dumpster fire party.

“More new friends,” a guy asks Tyler as he approaches us with a couple of girls. His eyes move from one of us to the next, and his shoulders are far too taut and his chest is much too puffed out for a dipshit with such a small frame. “Where the fuck do you find all these people?”

“Chill out, Nelson. They’re friends from Taryn’s,” Tyler responds before his gaze slides to me. “Well,someof them, anyways.”

“Rhea,” a blonde girl whistles with an upturned face, “I wish you’d told us you were bringing your dad to the party. We would have taken the booze from all the minors.” She begins laughing and then nudges her friend at her side until she follows suit with her childish antics.

I step forward, ready to say something smart-mouthed to the girl, but Rhea puts a hand on my chest, holding me back.

She’s got this.

“That’s okay, sweetie. My daddy doesn't care. Maybe next time I’ll bring yours and see how he feels about it…after I suck his dick.”

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