Make Me Forget

by Anna Brooks

  “That’s what you said last time. Like four years ago.”

  “I know. Look at me, sweetheart.” I pause, waiting. “I meant it then, and I mean it now. Sure, I’d love nothing more than to be buried deep inside you right now, but I know you’re not ready for that.”

  Shrugging, I sit back down on the couch. I’m so uncomfortable right now, and nothing is helping this hard on go away. We eat pizza and barely watch the movie. The silence is killing me.

  “Come with me to my parent’s house Sunday.” That’ll do it. Mission get rid of your hard on accomplished.

  “What?”

  “Yeah. It’s Brandon’s last family dinner for who knows how long. He starts his new job next week, so I’m sure he’ll be too busy for the first few months.”

  “Do they… know about me?”

  “No. Well, my parents don’t. Brandon knows there’s a girl. I never told him about you.”

  Her face falls, and I immediately explain. “Not because I’m ashamed of you or anything. It’s just... after Tammy, they thought I was going to lose it. Which I did, I guess. If I told them about you, they’d be all over me, and honestly, I wasn’t sure what was going to happen with us, if anything. So, I guess I kept you my secret.”

  “I don’t know. That’s a lot for me, to meet your family.”

  “I understand that, sweetheart. And I know you still have more to tell me, but you have to start living again. Come with me, please.” I’m begging, and I don’t fucking care. I want her to take this step with me.

  “Okay. But can we not give them the details of how we met. Say we knew each other through Pierce?”

  “Sure.” Plus, if I told my parents, they’d be all over me for information. Once they found about her only being seventeen when we met, they’d kick my ass. “I want to give you a heads up that my dad’s in a wheelchair.”

  Her hands fly to her mouth to cover her gasp. “Oh no, what happened?”

  “He is, rather, he was a cop. He got shot in the shoulder and the impact threw him down the stairs. He damaged some of the nerves in his spine.”

  “That’s terrible.”

  “It happened when I was fourteen. It’s not a big deal anymore, it’s part of who he is. I don't want you to be uncomfortable.”

  “Thanks, I appreciate that.” She yawns and quickly turns her head to cover her face with her hair.

  “You’re tired, sweetheart. I should go.”

  She hesitates for a moment. “Okay.” She stands and I follow her to the door. “Ya know, I was coming for you.”

  “What? When?”

  “When I ran into you in the hallway. After I left the bar, I came here, but I couldn’t walk away again.” Her confession rocks my world.

  “That’s good. You know what you said earlier, in the parking lot. I want that. I want to owe you explanations. I want to be something to you.”

  Closing the distance between us, she reaches up and grabs my face. Her thumb rubs along the stubble on my chin. I watch her eyes as they follow her finger for a minute before roaming up my face to connect with mine.

  “You are, Travis. You’re everything to me. Always have been, and I’m hoping when I tell you everything, that you’ll still want to be with me.”

  I’m blown away by her honesty, and mimic her by cradling her face in my hands.

  “Nothing could change the way I feel about you, okay? Nothing.”

  15

  Charlotte

  “Open your door. I know you’re in there!” I pound on Meara’s door and almost fall in when she opens it.

  “What the hell is your problem? It’s so early.” She rubs her eyes and yawns.

  “It’s not early, it’s almost noon. I need help. Like bad.”

  She must sense the desperation in my voice because her head snaps up and her tired eyes are quickly replace with concerned ones.

  “Why? What’s wrong? What happened?”

  “Travis is taking me to meet his parents tomorrow,” I say nervously.

  She looks at me with wide eyes before she starts laughing hysterically.

  “Stop laughing, it’s not funny. What am I going to wear? How am I going to avoid questions about how we met?” She’s still laughing, so I hit her with my purse. She rubs her arm and stops, shooting evil eyes at me.

  “Seriously, Meara. I’m freaking out!”

  “Okay, geeze, don’t get your panties in a wad. Everything will be fine, I promise. Give me like twenty minutes to take a shower, okay?”

  She doesn’t wait for an answer before she walks away. A few minutes later, I hear the water turn on. I wander around her apartment and stop to look at the collection of pictures she has on her wall. Some of them are family, me included. Most of them are of her and her boyfriend, Liam. They’ve been together since they were kids, and seeing the pictures of them as teenagers together is so cute. It’s too bad that they don't see each other much since he’s been touring with his band.

  “Okay, now sit your ass down and talk to me.” She’s dressed in ripped skinny jeans and a black concert tee so faded you can barely see the logo. Her shoes are high-heeled spiky black boots. She thinks she’s too short at five-foot-four, so you won’t ever find her in anything less than three-inch heels.

  I follow her to the kitchen and plop down on a stool. Aside from Dr. Reynolds, she’s the only one who knows everything. I tell her Travis wants to take me to meet his parents, and how nervous I am.

  “You need a damn Xanax. Calm yourself, child.”

  “No, I can’t calm down! This is huge for me, for us. Meeting his parents means that we’re actually something. And I still haven’t told him everything. What if he decides–”

  She swats my flailing hands. “I said calm down. You worry too much, sheesh. Eat this, we’ll go shopping to get you an outfit, then we’ll go to the pub and have a drink to settle your ass down.”

  “Okay. Okay.” I can barely swallow the bagel Meara made for me because the knot in my stomach is so large; it feels lodged in my throat.

  “I can’t eat right now, I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay. Hey.” I look at her and scrunch my eyebrows at her serious expression. “Everything will be okay. You know that, right? Look at what you’ve already been through. This’ll be a cakewalk.”

  ***

  “Hell, no. You want them to think I’m a hooker?” I ask incredulously. She picked out a skirt, but it really looks like a tube top, and a V-neck shirt. The ‘v’ goes almost to my belly button. “Why did I think this would be a good idea?” I mumble under my breath.

  “I heard that. Let me go find something a little less slutty. I’m only messing with you.” She turns on her heels and heads back into the store as I walk back to the dressing room.

  I don't want his parents to think I’m a slut. I also don't want to look like an old lady. Are jeans not dressy enough? Is a skirt too fancy? A million thoughts are running through my head when a pile of clothes flies over the top of the door.

  “There. If that’s good enough, I’m done. Try it on and come thank me for making you look absolutely perfect for meeting his parents.”

  Sighing, I rid my body of the slut clothes and put on the new outfit without even looking at it. When I step out of the dressing room, her eyes widen, and she smiles huge.

  “Perfect! It’s perfect. Damn, I’m good.” She studies her handiwork, and I reluctantly turn and look in the three-sided mirror. Wow, she’s right.

  “It is perfect.” She picked out a pair of turquoise leggings that stop at my calves. The long dress shirt is really pretty; three-quarter length sleeves with large flowers in pastels, outlined with bolder colors and lime green stems. The flats pull the maroon color from the shirt and have a little jewels on them to add sparkle.

  “Right. Now go buy this so we can get some food and a drink.” I look at my watch, and notice it’s almost seven at night. We’ve been shopping for six hours now. I quickly change and pay for my items. Once inside her car, I toss my bag
in the backseat and let out a huge sigh of relief.

  “Thanks, Meara, seriously.”

  “Please,” She waves me off. “You’ll be fine. You have to stop worrying so much and relax. The guy loves you. He’d never do anything to make you uncomfortable.”

  Love? “No…”

  “Oh, come on, Char. You’re blind if you can’t see that Travis is in love with you. I can’t believe I didn’t realize it before you finally told me about what happened that summer.”

  I don’t get a chance to answer because we pull up to The Pub, and she’s out and walking to the door.

  We say hi to everyone and grab a seat in an end booth. The waitress comes over, and we order our food. After we eat, we grab a seat at the bar.

  “Hey, Nik,” I say as the bartender walks over.

  “Hey, ladies. What’s up?”

  “Nothin’, a girls’ day.” We chat for a few minutes and order our drinks. I laugh when Nik hands Meara a pink drink with an umbrella in it. Such a contradiction to the rock chick image, she always orders some fruity-tuitty drink. I prefer wine or beer. We clink glasses and chat for the next hour or so. More people start to flood in, and it gets a little busier. Another bartender, Zach, shows up at nine and gives us a wink before sliding a couple shot glasses in front of us.

  “From the guys down there.” He points his head at the other end of the bar where a bunch of frat boys sit, smiling at us.

  “Cheers, boys!” Meara lifts her glass and slams it down, swallowing the clear liquid like a champ. I laugh at her and push my shot toward her. I really don't feel like being hungover tomorrow. “Nope. You gotta do it. Come on, Char. Loosen up a little.” She pushes it back, and I catch sight of myself in the mirror behind the bar. I’m smiling, and my eyes look happy. Finally, I feel back to normal.

  “Okay, okay.” I grab the glass and pour the shot down my throat. A small shiver runs along my spine when the alcohol hits me, and I wave a thanks to the guys who bought the shot. I would never take a shot from someone I don’t know, but this is my family's bar. I’m safe here.

  We order another drink, and I almost fall off my stool when we get up to go to the bathroom. Laughing, Meara and I stumble back to our seats and finish the rest of our drinks.

  “I think I wanna have babies with Travis.”

  “They’d be the cutest babies ever.”

  “Yeah, he is pretty cute.” I laugh and wave my hand at Nik or Zach, either one, really. I want another drink. I have no idea where that thought came from but thinking about having Travis’ babies makes me smile.

  Meara and I are laughing our asses off at some dumb joke she said, and I knock my glass over on the bar.

  “Shit! Give me a towel!” I shout at Nik who throws one at me, shaking his head laughing. I wipe my mess up and toss the soaked towel over the bar. It splashes on the floor all over Nik’s shoes, and he gives me a dirty look.

  “Sorry.”

  “It’s okay, Char. Remember that next time you work with me. Payback’s a bitch.” He winks and hands the couple next to us their drinks.

  “What does he mean?” I ask Meara.

  “Oh, that. I forgot to tell you. I put you on the schedule starting next week.”

  “What?!”

  “Yeah, you’ve been mopey long enough. You need to get a damn life. It’s only until you figure out what else you want to do.”

  I start to argue with her, but even in my drunken state, I realize she’s right. I’ve started to move on and have an actual life. I need a job. I’m still not sure what I want to for a career, but this’ll actually work great. I’m comfortable here, my family is here, and most importantly, I feel safe here.

  “Okay,” I say.

  “Okay?”

  “Yeah, okay. Tell me when I should start.”

  “Can I buy you another drink?” a voice next to me asks. I turn and see one of the guys from earlier and mentally roll my eyes.

  “No, thank you.”

  “Aw, come on, one drink.” He runs his finger down my arm, and I freeze up. Meara notices my abrupt change in attitude.

  “Dude, she said no. Back off,” she chimes in for me, and I’m grateful for her presence.

  “I wasn't talking to you.” Once he touched me, I sobered up immediately, and I can now recognize the slurring of his words. Needing to fight my own battles, I turn my whole body and push through the nerves.

  “I said no. I appreciate the offer, but no.” I turn around, and he calls me a bitch under his breath before walking away. I look up to see both Nik and Zach directly behind me at the bar with their arms crossed. Both guys are very fit and intimidating separately, but you put them together, and it’s no wonder the guy walked away.

  I point at them. “Here, I thought I scared him off with my bad-assness.” Even if I wasn’t the one who scared him off, the fact that I stood up for myself is a big deal. And the fact that I was able to overcome my fear after he touched me.

  “Yeah, okay,” they laugh.

  Meara and I each have a couple glasses of water before we leave. We say ‘bye’ to Nick and Zach before we grab a cab. By the time I get home, I’m exhausted. I practically fall into bed, and just hours later, I’m woken by the shrill tone of my alarm.

  “Shit.” I roll over and pick up my phone, which I accidentally knock off the nightstand. After sitting on the edge of the bed for a few minutes, I realize what today is. Nerves instantly shoot through my body, and I walk to the kitchen to get a bottle of water. The cold liquid soothes me, and I head to the bathroom to get ready.

  I dry my hair and swipe up a side using the clip I bought yesterday. Once I’m dressed, I force myself to eat a piece of toast. Time flies as I apply my makeup, and before I know it, it’s quarter to one and my buzzer goes off.

  I swallow the lump in my throat and push the button on the intercom.

  “Hello.”

  “Hey, it’s me. You ready, or do you want me to come up?” Travis asks.

  “I’ll be right down.”

  I grab my purse and the bottle of wine I bought yesterday for his mom. When I get outside, Travis is waiting for me, and he looks freaking hot. Dressed in jeans, a plain grey t-shirt, and his hair styled to look like he rolled out of bed, the simple look is amazing on him.

  “Hey, sweetheart.” He gives me a kiss on the cheek and looks at the bottle of wine.

  “Hey.” I hold it up and shrug my shoulders. “I hope your mom likes wine.”

  “She does. Ready?” he asks excitedly.

  We walk to his car where he opens my door and closes it behind me after I sit. My nerves are strung high as my legs bounce at a rapid pace, shaking my whole body. Travis sets his hand on my knee and gives a little squeeze.

  “Relax, Char. Nothing to be nervous about.”

  “Logically, I know that, but I can’t help it.”

  “It’s my parents and my brother. You’ve met Brandon before, right?” He turns the volume down on the radio and places his hand back on my thigh.

  “Yeah, a long time ago. I think he was at a barbecue or something.”

  “Seriously, it’ll be fine.”

  I alternate from chewing my nails to bouncing my legs to twirling my hair. Travis gets off the interstate, and I watch as we zoom past houses and buildings. He pulls into a parking lot and puts the car in park but doesn't take the keys out of the ignition. Confused as to why we’re at a store, he gets out of his seat and walks over to my side. Opening the door, he squats down in front of me and grabs my hands.

  “Jesus. You’re shaking. We really don't have to do this if you're not ready.” He rubs small circles on my hands, soothing the tremors.

  “No, it’s fine. I’m sure once I get there, I’ll be okay. I’m sorry; I really don’t know why I’m so nervous.”

  “You sure?” he asks with concern.

  “Yeah. Now, let’s go, so we’re not late.” I lean down and give him a soft kiss, assuring both him and myself that I’m okay. I’ve stopped shaking and feel calmer a
lready.

  For the few more minutes we have to drive, I’m touched by his thoughtfulness. The way he’s able to read me and take care of me is a welcome relief. I’ve felt for so long that I only had myself to rely on. I take a huge breath when we pull into the driveway of a typical suburban house. White siding and a wood fence surrounding the backyard on a cul-de-sac.

  “Brandon and I loved growing up here. It’s a really quiet street so we were able to play in it with all the neighbor kids.”

  “I bet,” I agree.

  “Ready?”

  “As I’ll ever be.”

  He leans over his seat and wraps his hand around my hair, gently pulling me toward him. His runs his nose along my cheek and his lips brush mine.

  “If it ever gets to be too much, let me know, okay? No questions asked.”

  “Okay. But I think I’ll be fine.”

  He opens his door and pins me with a look when I reach for my handle. Once he opens my door, I grab his hand in one of mine and the wine in the other. We walk up the steps, and I notice the ramp going up to the house. He opens the door and squeezes my hand before shouting, “We’re here!”

  “Hey, Trav,” a deep voice calls, and he tugs me in the direction of it. I’m greeted by his brother, who looks so much like Travis it’s scary. Same black hair, same piercing blue eyes. He’s a few inches taller than Travis, but not as bulky.

  I smile and wave, and he winks at me. When I turn my head to see his dad sitting in a chair, I can’t help the giggle that escapes me. It’s no wonder where they get their looks. Holy cow! If I want to know what he’s going to look like in twenty-five years, he’s staring at me right now with an amused expression.

  “Hi. I’m Steve, Travis’s dad.”

  “Yeah, I see that. The resemblance is insane.” I walk over to his outstretched hand and let out a little yelp when he pulls me down to give me a hug. “Thanks for making my boy smile again,” he whispers in my ear, and I fight back tears at his admission.

  “He’s a good man,” I tell him.

  I pull back and smile at Travis, immediately feeling more relaxed. He’s leaning on the doorframe with his arms crossed but turns when a familiar voice calls his name.