Forget You (4 page)

“I think you already know the answer to
that.” His head cocked to the side. “What is it you have against
me? Are you just one of those I-hate-men types? Are you a
lesbian?”

Unbelievable. His ego was larger than I’d
initially thought.

“Because I’m struggling to resist your
charming ways, you question if I’m a lesbian?”

Dropping my wrist, he crammed his hands into
the front pockets of his jeans, and leaned in closer to me. A large
smile twisted his lips. “You’re struggling to resist my charming
ways, huh?”

I blinked. Had I really said that? Without
another word, I walked past him toward my Escape, which I had to
park half a mile away because Soldier Boy was so damn popular there
wasn’t a spot closer.

“I’ve never been one to enjoy the chase, but
I really think I’m turning over a new leaf with you.” He was at my
side, matching me step for step.

“You know, I will give you one thing: You’re
the most multitalented guy I’ve met yet. You can walk, talk, and
manage to annoy the shit out of me all at the same time.” I cut my
eyes to him, and flashed my most intense glare, hoping to get my
point across.

SAWYER

Her words hit me in the gut, and forced a
laugh from me that vibrated through my entire body. This girl was
just as good as I was at the one-liners. Playful banter wasn’t
something I was used to doing with women; it had always been
something my brother and I had done. He’d been the one-liner
king.

“Damn that was a good one. I’ll have to
remember it,” I admitted, still unable to gain control over my
laughter.

A small smile twitched at the corners of her
plump lips, but she didn’t speak. Instead, she continued in her
quick-paced walk toward her vehicle. I wracked my brain for
something to say that would stop her from leaving, something that
would give me more time with the girl who made the pain of losing
my brother disappear while in her presence.

Nothing came to me though, and before I knew
it, I was standing at her vehicle, watching as she climbed inside.
She cranked the engine and reached to close her door, but I was in
the way. Her ocean blue eyes snapped to mine, and I imagined there
was something with venom waiting to be released on the tip of her
tongue.

“Since you didn’t tell me flat-out you wanted
me to leave you alone, I’m taking it as a good sign and saying
goodnight, but not goodbye. See you sometime soon, pretty eyes.” I
winked, and jogged away backward before she could respond.

Heading up the front steps to the house, I
couldn’t wait to talk with Mindy and find out everything I possibly
could about Eva, the sharp-tongued girl of my dreams. The same
thumping music from before pulsed through the house when I stepped
inside. Loud chanting and claps that held no rhythm sounded
alongside it. Compared to the quiet from outside, this place was
like sensory overkill.

Weaving through people dancing, talking,
making out, and grinding against one another, I searched for Mindy.
She and Wes were no longer standing beside the wall where I’d last
seen them. Scouring the center of the room, I prayed Wes hadn’t
already taken her upstairs. Spotting his goofy ass nod-and-bob
moves, I bolted toward him with my eyes zeroed in on the petite
blonde he was with.

“There you are.” Wes grinned. “Did you scare
off your date?”

“She wasn’t my date,” I shouted over the
music. “And now I’m borrowing yours.”

Gripping Mindy’s hand, I intertwined my
fingers through hers and pulled her away from the dance floor
toward the back door. I needed to get her outside where I knew it
would be quieter. She didn’t put up a struggle. In fact, she
gripped her plastic cup, and smiled while strolling along behind
me. Either the girl was wasted already or she was the most passive
person I’d ever met. She damn sure was the exact opposite of her
friend. The thought of someone trying to do this with Eva plastered
a smile on my face.

“Tell me everything about her,” I blurted the
second we stepped outside into the empty backyard.

Mindy chuckled, and sipped her drink.
“Everything about who?”

Was this girl stupid? “Eva, your friend.”

“Oh.” Recognition dawned on her, and she
dragged the word out. “Right, Eva. Are you a stalker?” Her blond
eyebrows drew together as her eyes skimmed over me.

I shook my head. “No, I’m not a stalker.”

Disbelief that she’d asked the question, even
though she had every right to believe that’s exactly what I was,
sliced through me. I’d never behaved this way before, especially
not when it involved a chick. Chick? Eva was not a chick; she was a
freaking gorgeous woman.

“Whoa, wait a minute,” Wes yelled. He stormed
through the back door with a look of pure rage slashing across his
features. There was one surefire way to piss my cousin off—cock
block him. “What the fuck, man? Why are you stealing my girl when
you just ran yours off?”

“Your girl?” Mindy gasp. She was a lovesick
puppy in Wes’s hands already, and he’d worked on her no more than
two nights. How the hell did he do that?

“I need information from her.” I ran my
fingers through my hair.

What the hell was I doing? Why was I about to
interrogate this girl? How had Eva embedded herself into my mind so
deeply after only a few brief meetings?

“Information about what?” Wes questioned.
He’d moved to take a defensive stand beside Mindy, and folded his
arms over his chest while pinning me in place with an intense
stare.

“Eva. He wants to know everything about her,”
Mindy answered for me.

I couldn’t raise my eyes to meet Wes’s
because I knew the look I’d find splashed across his
face—amusement.

“The girl you just ran off? Have you even met
her before tonight?” Wes asked. His voice was low, but it was clear
he was on the verge of laughing hysterically. “Was it love at first
sight, little cuz?”

My eyes snapped to his. “I don’t know what it
is.”

I didn’t. All I knew was that she made me
feel alive inside—something I hadn’t felt in a while. Not since
before Ryker died. She made me forget it all for a moment. Most of
all, she made me feel as though forgetting the pain from losing
Ryker might finally be okay.

“Her last name is Bennett. She’s like the
same age as me, twenty-four. She works at The Point, and is pretty
cynical when it comes to things.” Mindy filled the awkward silence
between the three of us. “She’s awesome though, really down to
earth.”

Smiling, I stared at Mindy. “I kind of
figured out the cynical part on my own.”

The rest was something else, though. Eva
Bennett, a twenty-four-year-old who worked at The Point. Guess I
found my new favorite place to eat.

Wes gripped my shoulder, and spun me to face
the house. “Inside. Let’s enjoy this party now that you know more
about your mystery woman.”

* * * *

Saturday morning I woke at five-thirty like
always. I didn’t even need to set the alarm on my cell phone; my
internal alarm clock was good enough. After slipping some
basketball shorts over my boxers and tugging on an Under Armor
long-sleeved shirt from my closet, I tied my running shoes and
headed out the door. This was how I began every day. Even before
basic training, I’d done this—ran as soon as I woke up, regardless
of the weather. I was like the freaking mailman; nothing could stop
me from doing what I needed to do—run.

Ryker and I used to run together. We did a
lot of things together. He hadn’t just been my big brother, he’d
also been my best friend, and now he was gone.

Slamming the front door shut behind me, I
jogged down the wooden steps lit dimly by the end cap lights my
landlord had put in a few months ago. By the time I reached the
final step, I could barely see my hand in front of my face. At
five-thirty on an early December morning, having adequate light
wasn’t the only problem stacked against me. The bitter cold
temperature was too. Jogging in place for a few minutes, and then
doing my leg stretches, I stared at the few cars passing by as I
forced thoughts of my brother out of my head.

I hooked my earbuds in my ears, and opened up
the music app on my phone, tapping on my favorite running
station—Dubstep. I started in the opposite direction I’d ran
yesterday. My feet pounded against the smooth concrete of the
sidewalk in a slow rhythm until I gradually picked up speed.
Pulling in deep, measured breaths, I felt my mind quiet and relax
little by little. I zoned out, becoming enveloped in that blissful
place where I was free—free from memories, free from
responsibilities, free from life. The beat of the music echoed
through my soul, and my feet became numb to the jarring sensation
of meeting with the ground at such a rapid pace.

Mind nirvana, that’s what I liked to call
this moment.

I ran until I came to Coldcreek High School,
which was a good two and a half miles from my apartment, then I
jogged in place for a bit before I turned around and headed back.
The song playing through my earbuds switched to something darker
and full of deep bass. Smiling, I picked up the pace. This was what
I needed—to burn the excess energy I had flowing through my
veins—before tackling another day.

After jogging up the stairs to my apartment,
I unlocked the door and pushed inside. The silence made the
pounding of my heart seem louder. I tossed my keys on the kitchen
counter, and headed to my room for some clothes before hopping in
the shower. It was Saturday, and I had absolutely nothing to do. As
the water streamed over my skin, I contemplated how I should spend
my day.

EVA

After rolling out of bed, I forced myself
down the hall of my tiny apartment and straight to the TV. I’d been
up for about an hour now, lying in bed while thinking of excuses
not to exercise this morning. I tried to fool my mind into
believing I had too much to do today, and wouldn’t have the thirty
minutes it took to spare. When I couldn’t come up with anything
good enough, I finally caved and decided I had nothing better to do
besides focus on my personal fitness on this fine morning.

After pushing power on the remote and moving
my scuffed up coffee table out of the way, I spread my yoga mat out
on the floor and plopped down. The upbeat voice of the Pilates
instructor on the DVD filled the quiet of my living room. I obeyed
her every command, twisting and stretching into the most ridiculous
positions. After completing my thirty minutes, I stood and felt
like a whole new person. My muscles were relaxed and limber, while
my mind was fully awake and at ease.

Time for caffeine.

Making myself a cup of pumpkin spice coffee
with loads of vanilla creamer, I scooped up my cell phone and
headed toward my couch. After scanning through my usual—email and
all social media sites—I tossed my phone down beside me and sighed.
Everyone seemed to be living these extraordinary lives based off my
newsfeed. Kicking my feet up, I finished my coffee in silence,
while wondering what I could do today that would seem
extraordinary. Days off from both work and school were rare for me,
and when one came around, I generally didn’t know what to do with
myself.

Today was no exception, no matter how much I
wanted it to be.

After downing the final sips of my sugar in a
cup, I rinsed my mug in the sink and headed to the shower, hoping
something would come to me there. It seemed as though the best
ideas always came to me when I was in the shower. This time though,
not so much. The only thing that came to me was thoughts of last
night. They slipped through my mind as the warm water pounded
against my back. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get Sawyer
Keeton out of my mind. His witty banter and sexy-as-hell self had
slithered into my subconscious, because the dreams he starred in
last night were intense. I didn’t think there was any toy in the
bottom drawer of my nightstand that would satisfy this urge
swelling inside of me with every breath.

I really needed a man. And fun. I needed some
fun.

Drying off, I figured I’d do my usual, head
to Paige’s Closet and shop for clothes I didn’t really need. Maybe
Paige or Lauren would want to do something tonight. It was nights
like this when I almost wished my best friend, Cameron, wasn’t all
domesticated and refined now. While I was happy for him and Paige,
I still missed my buck wild partner in crime every so often. My
cell chimed from in the living room as a text came through, and I
raced to see who it was. Mindy’s name and number lit up my
screen.

Your soldier boy grilled me about you last
night.

My jaw slacked. What could he have possibly
wanted to know? I flopped down across my couch, and tucked my feet
beneath me.

What do you mean he grilled you? ~ Eva

Exactly that, he wanted to know everything I
could tell him about you.

This conversation should be freaking me out,
but it wasn’t. Instead, it made my pulse race in a good way, and my
knees bounce with pent up giddiness.

Because? ~ Eva

Because I think he’s obsessed with you or
something.

Obsessed with me? Ha. There was no way he was
obsessed with me.

And what did you tell him? ~ Eva

Chewing on the corner of my thumbnail, I was
surprised at how much this all mattered to me. My heart palpitated
as I waited for her response. Mindy hadn’t known me for long, so
she couldn’t have had too much to tell him.

The truth. Your last name is Bennett. You
work at The Point. You’re twenty-four. And you’re very cynical.

Not bad. That was me in a nutshell. Sawyer
already knew I was cynical, but everything else would have been new
information to him.

I also added that you were very down to
earth.