Page 43 of Girl Like Me

“I explained everything to him and he agreed that he overreacted. He was just worried about me and wanted me to be safe. And I believe him. I don’t think he has anything to do with what happened to me. I just wish my memories would come back so I could be done with it.”

“Does that mean you can come back?” Rocky asks with a hint of excitement in his voice.

“No, somehow this is all connected to my brother and him being missing. From what I know about him, he was the closest to me so I owe it to him to stay and work it out but it does mean that we can visit each other and not have to keep it a secret anymore.”

“We understand,” Mercer adds, nodding his head.

“When we first met, I didn’t want to know about my past but some of the people I have met I can feel we had a connection. I hate who I used to be but I don’t think I hate being there. The only thing that sucks is not being close to you.”

“Hey, next year we will all be free to do whatever we want to do, we have time to work it out.” Mercer says. I can tell he wants her back as much as we all do but he’s right, we have been having a lot of therapy lately about what we plan to do after we finish school and we have found a few universities that we would like to go to. Mine is only about fifteen minutes from where JD lives, Rory doesn’t plan to even go to university, Mercer wants to go to Tafe, Levi wants to do a sports degree and Rocky, I’m unsure if he even knows yet. So we have options.

“We have some time before dinner, we should do something,” Rocky says excitedly, jumping up from the couch.

“I did bring Chloe with me, Mac is coming to pick her up while I have dinner here with you guys. We were kind of hoping we could crash at your place Rory and leave in the morning.”

“You don’t ever need to ask, you’re always welcome, anytime.”

We all head out to the kitchen and Chloe is helping Mumma B. I can see why Mac is into her, she seems sweet, and she’s really pretty. I know Mac is a good guy and through therapy I’ve realised that I may have slightly overreacted about him sleeping with my sister. He can’t offer her a future though, he has plans to leave this place and never look back. His life consists of training and it will for a long time. He wants to be an olympian more than anything else in this world.

***

Dinner was uneventful, or at least mostly. Mumma B invited Chloe and Mac to stay, which the guys weren’t happy about but Mac decided to take Chloe to the movies after dinner, leaving us to head to Rory’s with JD alone.

“I have my fight with Echo this week,” Mercer blurts out and JD pauses the movie and turns to face him.

“I didn’t think my uncle was serious about that,” she says and I’m not sure why she seems so surprised. He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who says things that he doesn’t mean.

“He was dead serious, but I won’t back down. I’m sorry if that isn’t what you want to hear. I have to do this.”

“That isn’t what I meant. I won’t ever tell you what to do but I would hope you at least planned to invite me.”

“JD…” he says hesitantly. “I don’t think these are the type of people you want to be hanging around.”

She laughs at him. “You do realise who my uncle is and Echo is my friend. I know they’re a bit shady but I doubt either of them would let anything happen to me.”

“Fine,” he says conceding. “Would you like to come to my fight? But, you have to stand in my corner,” he winks with a smile. “Echo is not having my girl cheering him on.”

JD gets up from her seat in between Rocky and Rory and makes her way over to Mercer and straddles his lap.

“Your girl, huh? Lucky for you, he has a girl in his corner already.”

“Who?” I ask quietly and she turns to face me.

“It seems like Chloe has a few guys just like I do.”

“Does Mac know?” Mercer asks and JD shrugs.

“I’m not sure but he doesn’t want anything serious and right now I think she’s just having fun, which she deserves.”

JD wiggles her way off Mercer's lap and he groans from the movement.

“Guys, can I ask you all something?” She asks hesitantly, biting on her bottom lip.

There’s a chorus of sure and okay’s but she looks unsure.

“Do you see this thing between us lasting? I mean,” she wrings her hands nervously. “How will it work? Dating you all is great but how realistic is it?”

I can feel my heart start to thump in my chest and the pressure starts to build. JD must notice because she’s next to me in a flash and takes my hand. “Maximus, it’s okay. We’re okay, but this is something we need to talk about. Having five boyfriends isn’t normal, how will you all cope with that pressure?”

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