Page 33 of Forever

“Boys fight!” Nigel yelled and pulled off his shirt. He was surprisingly fit too. I’d seen him naked before, but I didn’t remember his abs. I’d been rather distracted by his enormous monster dong. I stifled a laugh.

James jumped from one couch to the other, trying to get away from Mason.

Matt tried to break up Rob and Tanner hitting each other. They were being a little violent about it. And Matt was somehow taking most of the blows from the pillows.

“This is amazing,” Penny said and plopped down next to me.

Daphne sat down on the other side of me. “It finally feels like we’re all…whole.”

Bee screamed and jumped on top of us.

“You’re so drunk,” Penny said.

Bee laughed. “Not even.” She leaned across us and grabbed a pillow. “Are you guys thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Oh we’re definitely joining in on this,” Penny said.

We all got up and grabbed pillows.

“Attack!” Daphne yelled and we all charged into the fight. She jumped onto Rob’s back and they somehow managed to both hit Tanner at the same time.

James and Penny started making out and Mason and Bee hit them with pillows.

There were so many feathers in the air now that I could barely see anything.

Matt caught me around the waist, holding me close so no one could hit me.

I looked up at the feathers floating all around us. It reminded me of the snow at the lake house. I closed my eyes for just a second and pictured Miller’s smiling face. I felt him here with us. I felt him all around me. I opened my eyes and smiled.

Miller would always have my heart.

And so would Matt.

I could love them both at the same time. Daphne was right. I was whole again.

Matt leaned down and kissed me as the feathers fell all around us.

Chapter 9

Thursday

Matt

Brooklyn seemed okay the night after everything happened at prom. But each day that followed, she closed herself off a little more.

I poured us each a cup of coffee as I watched her sitting with her tomato plants on the floor. She was picking a few ripe tomatoes off the vines. But mostly she was just staring at them, lost in thought. I knew what the plants meant to her. I knew they tied her to her past.

I took a deep breath and handed her a steaming mug of coffee.

She shook her head. “Thanks, but I’m not thirsty.”

Every time I tried to do something for her, she pushed me away a little more. I set the extra mug down on the counter. “Felix and Kennedy invited us out to dinner again tonight. Are you feeling up to it?” Felix had been texting me about going on a double date the past few days. They’d left prom early and had to find out second hand what had happened. I knew they were worried about Brooklyn. Just like I was.

“No, I want to make something with these tomatoes tonight. Before they go bad. Kennedy and Felix will understand.”

They didn’t understand. Neither did I. And I was starting to worry that Brooklyn was never going to leave the house again. “Have you thought anymore about costumes for the Halloween party next weekend?”

She shrugged. “I’m sure whatever you choose will be fine.”

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