Page 19 of Forget Me Not

Any chance I had of leaving her alone was completely destroyed the second I felt her pressed up against me. Coiled up so tight she would’ve let me do anything to her just to get some relief. I was close to giving it to her too. But teasing her was nearly just as satisfying. That is, until I had to drive home with a hard-on that refused to go away.

I haven’t seen or spoken to her since I left her standing flustered in her kitchen almost three weeks ago. It wouldn’t be that hard to get her number or even show up at the hospital to see her, for that matter. But my brain is still warring with my need to have her.

It’s dangerous to get close to her knowing who she is, knowing how I play into an assumingly darker part of her past. But with every thought of her perfect pink lips parting for me,begging to be devoured, my determination to stay away from her withers further.

“Still thinking about the girl?” King asks, leaning against the wooden fence next to me. Every year within the last week or two of September, King throws a barbecue at his house. His daughters love having people here and it’s his way of celebrating them getting through the first few weeks of school. It’s a laid-back sort of thing with lots of food and drinks, good music, and everyone’s welcome.

He closes the shop early, invites everyone from there, and they invite whoever they want to bring, plus whoever else his daughters convince him to let come. I say convince lightly, considering they both have him wrapped around their fingers.

“Trying not to.” I take a sip from the beer bottle in my hand. King laughs, following my movement to take a sip of his own drink.

“And how’s that working out for you?” he asks. I look over at him with a look that shows him just how much it’s not working out for me at all. He nods his head as if it’s what he figured.

“You know you could just talk to her. She may not be who you’re thinking she is anyway,” he says. “Plus, you’ve never had an issue picking up women before, so what else is holding you back now?”

“She is.” I continue, “She’s exactly who I think she is. It’s just a gut feeling.” I look away from him and toward all the other people floating around the backyard, drinking, eating, happy. “There is no other reason I haven’t gone after her. I can admit that I want to fuck her, King. But is a good fuck really worth fucking up her life if I’m right?”

“You don’t only want to fuck her, Kade, and you’re an idiot for thinking that. Who says it would fuck up her life? How do you know that a new connection to her sister isn’t exactly what she wants? What she needs?”

“Because ‘hey, I think I knew your sister, who I’m pretty sure is dead, and before she died, she told me that you’re essentially my responsibility now, so do you want to grab a drink?’ is every girl’s fantasy.”

King stares at me for a minute before throwing his head back, a loud laugh following shortly after. “Well, fuck. When you put it that way.” He shakes his head as his laughter dies down.

We stand silently against the fence, drinking our beers and watching the others. King is similar to me in that he prefers to observe rather than participate. Where Asher is always at the center of the chaos, joking around and having a good time, King and I like to stay on the sidelines. It’s more peaceful here.

“Uncle Kade!” I hear yelled just before I’m forced to catch a screaming eight-year-old as she jumps onto me. Even though King is huge, his daughter, Willow, is tiny, even for an eight-year-old.

I’ve been around since before Willow was born and when his now twelve-year-old, Ellie, was only two. I love both of the girls like they’re my own and the fact that King has trusted me so wholeheartedly with them has been one of the honors of my life.

“Uncle Asher says you have girl problems.” She throws her head back and laughs, just like her dad does, forcing me to hold on to her tighter. Willow may be King’s mini-me in most ways, but she looks nearly identical to the mother who abandoned her. With her mother’s long, sandy-brown curls that flow down her back and light-hazel eyes, she’s going to be trouble one day for sure.

“Did he now?” I say to Willow, eyeing Asher as he walks up next to us.

“Yes, he did.” Willow nods her head vigorously. “And he said he is going to fix them for you.” She smiles obliviously.

My attention shoots to Asher. “And how do you plan on doing that?”

He smiles deviously and I know he did something even before he says it.

“Did I forget to mention I may have invited your sister and Logan?”

“Asher,” I say his name as a warning. He grabs Willow from my arms before holding her out in front of himself.

“You can’t do anything. I have a child.” He laughs as he backs away a couple feet, still holding a giggling Willow in front of him.

“Stop using my child to protect you,” King says, only making him laugh harder.

“Also, they’re already here.” Asher smiles wider just as I notice Demi walking up to us followed by the blonde who has been occupying my every waking and sleeping thought.

“Hey, big brother.” Demi smiles at me. “Asher,” she says, a small blush covering her cheeks that I know I’ll now have to ask Asher about later. “And who is this that you’re hiding behind?” Demi asks and Asher finally sets Willow down on the ground in front of him, knowing I won’t make a scene in front of everyone.

“I’m Willow Kate King,” Willow says sassily while putting her hands on her hips. “Who are you people?”

Demi smiles big at her. I look out of the corner of my eye to see Logan smiling too.

“I’m Demi, his little sister.” Demi points over to me. “And this is Logan.” She nudges her.

“Logan’s a boy’s name,” Willow says, eyeing Logan.

---