Forget Me Not by Stacey Nash Read Free Book Online

every now and then.
    My cheeks burn with the memory, and a dull pain thuds into the side of my leg.
    “Ouch.” I glance at Will, and he grins. I bet he’s thinking of that time too. Probably laughing or getting ready to tease me again. I narrow my eyes in warning and, thank God, he doesn’t mention the mirror incident.
    My skin prickles as we eat, and it feels like all the eyes in the room are on me. The newcomer. Everyone except Jax. He barely says a word as he slouches in his chair and looks around the dining room with bored, sleepy eyes.
    Marcus prattles on about himself. He’s good with electronics, he says; most tech is based on it and computers. He likes —no, loves—working with it. The conversation drones on, and I hear his words, but they don’t register. So I smile and nod like I hear him.
    He pushes his glasses back up onto the base of his nose for the third time in as many minutes. “I figure out what it does, how it works, and its limits. Once I’ve figured it out, I incorporate useful tech into the protective clothing and weapons Resistance fighters use.”
    Protective clothing? Jax wears black army style pants with shiny metal studs, a white T-shirt, and his leather jacket. A quick glance around the room tells me everyone else seems to be wearing ordinary clothes. Perhaps Marcus means the jacket.
    We slide into eating in silence, and thoughts of home hammer my mind. Dad will be eating dinner alone, if he’s even bothered to eat at all. He won’t be worried yet; he’ll probably assume I’m at work because it’s Saturday night. The diner always gets busy, and the boss often calls me in if I’m not on the schedule. He’ll be worried when he wakes in the morning and finds I’m not home, though. “Is there a phone here?”
    Jax looks up from his seat across the table. “Not a good idea, cupcake.”
    “Are you patronizing me?”
    “Wouldn’t dream of it, sugar.”
    I hadn’t realized he was listening. He’s been totally zoned out the entire meal. Will’s gaze darts to Jax, and Will’s suddenly rigid as stone . “What’s your problem?” he snarls.
    Jax rolls his gaze to Will, raises a lone brow, and pushes peas around his plate. I love that Will looks out for me, but right now, it’s really not worth it. Jax seems like the sort to just snap. Uncomfortable silence settles around us.
    Too much has happened today, and I can’t take in anymore. Every voice, every laugh, every scrape of every fork on every plate threatens to…. I can’t take it. Pushing my chair back, I duck my head and leave the room, quietly slipping outside.
    Clouds reach long and thin, like fingers, in front of the bright moon. The soft, grey light of night surrounds me. That’s better. I sigh and slide down onto a wooden bench on the open veranda and lean my back against it, admiring the view. Letting it calm me. The clouds and moon would make a beautiful shot. If only I had my camera. If only I was home.
    Cows bellow, frogs croak, crickets chirp, and the wind rustles the leaves of the nearby trees. It’s not as quiet in the country as I would have thought. Voices waft out of the window nearby. A small creak, like the squeak of a mouse, makes me look over my shoulder. Will closes the door and sits beside me on the bench, stretching his long legs out before him. “Interesting day.”
    “I’ve had better.”
    He squeezes my shoulder.
    “I know Beau said he’d get word to our parents, but I just want to call home,” I say. “I want to hear Dad’s voice. I want to tell him I’m okay.”
    “It’s all right, you’re allowed to be upset.” His hand still rests on my shoulder, lending comforting warmth.
    “He’s going to be worried, Will. He’ll think… it’s like before.”
    Will splutters, and his brows fly up. “Worried? What an understatement.”
    He’s right. Dad’s constant need to know where I am will have him calling every emergency service in the country by 9:00 a.m. We sit in silence, but