Page 53 of Forget Me Not
“Sure I do.” He winked, clapping Bas on the shoulder.
Then he said goodbye to Syve, who demanded he tell his wife hello for her, and started down the hall to the back door.
After jiggling the knob once to ensure the door was securely locked, Bas stuffed his hands in his hoodie pocket and turned toward Syve.
“Thanks for waiting around while I locked up. I feel like those tasks went faster having you there to keep me entertained.” He smirked, looking her right in the eye. “Can I walk you home?”
Syve nodded, unable to look away. He stepped closer and she thought for a second he might try to kiss her again, but before she could react one way or the other, he stepped past her. He took a few steps down the alley before stopping to wait for her.
There was no reason for her to be disappointed—she shouldnothave been disappointed.So why was she?
“Can I ask a question?” she said when she caught up with him. Bas side-eyed her and hummed in acknowledgement.
“What’s stopping you from buying out Hal? Is it finances?” She badgered, gasped and then amended, “Sorry, that’s none of my business—Damn, Hal! I let curiosity get the better of me, forget I asked.”
Chuckling, Bas shook his head. “No, you’re fine. It’s complicated. I technically have the money…I just…” He sighed. “Dez left me everything. I have the money to buy out Hal; I just feel like trash for even thinking about spending a single dime.”
Syve nodded, knowing the feeling all too well. When she had finally needed to dip into Erhard’s life insurance to start paying the bills she promptly heaved the entire contents of her stomach into the kitchen sink.
“You should do it. You should use the money, and you should buy Hal’s.”
Bastien stopped walking and turned to blink at her.
“I have a feeling Desiderio would want you to. He left everything to you for a reason—hewantedyou to use it. I think you know he would want you to do it. Especially if it makes you happy.”
Bas opened his mouth, likely to object, and she cut him off.
“Bas, I also know what it feels like to survive. It will be okay.” She reached out and grabbed his wrists.
It has to be. Maybe she was not just talking to him.
Slipping his hands out of his pocket, he twisted them to hold her hands and murmured, “How do you know?”
“I guess, I’m just being optimistic.” She smiled sadly, squeezed his hands once and then let go. They still had two blocks to go, so she turned and started walking again.
Bastien sighed behind her. “You’re incredible, you know that?”
“Incredible?” She laughed, watching over her shoulder as his long legs quickly ate up the distance between them. “Why do you think that?”
“I have never met anyone with a heart as big as yours, that’s all. That reminds me, I have pictures, from Del, she literally won’t shut up about how you saved her life—you’re her hero.” He dug his phone out of his jeans and began swiping across the screen.
With a content hum, she replied, “I’m hardly a hero, but I’m glad I was able to help her.”
He held his phone out to her, nodding for her to take it when she hesitated.
“You can swipe through them; there’s at least fifty.”
Syve side eyed him, surprised he would just hand his phone over like that. Most men were weirdly protective of their phone, yet here Bas was—not even looking over her shoulder while she was about to scroll through his photos.
She flipped through a dozen of the pictures, all mostly identical with the same four girls in various poses—but Del undeniably stood out the most. Not because her dress was more extravagant than the others, no, it was the absolutely radiant smile on her face. Syve shivered, hairs rising along herarms. That feeling, that was why she loved her job. Knowing there were another few dozen pictures yet to see, she passed the phone back to its owner before she could do something as silly as get emotional.
“Thank you for showing me, will you tell Del thank you too?” She swallowed the lump in her throat.
“Of course. But I should be the one thanking you, again. You had no reason to drop everything to come over. Still, you did. Thank you for helping my baby sister.”
She met his gaze, those slate-gray eyes. There was no mistaking the admiration emanating from them. Syve could only nod dumbly. They were now standing at the base of the stairs leading to her loft.
“One last thing,” he said, reaching into his back pocket and retrieving a slightly creased, shimmery, gold envelope. “Shit, sorry, I probably should have put it in a different pocket…Del wanted me to give you this. It’s an invite—she’s graduating the first of the month. I—we would all love it if you came. If you’re not busy, or if you even want to go…obviously…” he trailed off, scuffing the cracked concrete with his boot.
