Never Forget (Memories #1)(22)
Author: Emma Hart

I nod slightly.

”Just like Alec would be to you, if you’d let him,” she adds.

”I don’t know..”

”I do,” she says firmly. ”I see the way he looks at you, Lexy, and I know I’m a bit crazy with my words sometimes, but he actually would do anything for a chance to prove to you he’s worth a shot.”

”I already said I’d give him a chance-”

”But are you?” She turns and pins me with her blue eyes. ”Are you letting him show you, or are you still trying to control it? Letting yourself see what you want to see? You can’t control everything, and matters of the heart are one of those things. The heart wants what the heart wants and you gotta let it have it. Everyone will get hurt at some point, but don’t think about that. Think about now. Think about the crazy way he makes you feel right now, cause I know he does make you crazy. Stop focusing on the future. The here and now is what matters, not something that might or might not happen in a week, a month, a year from now. Let him in, Lexy, just once, and you’ll see what I do.”

She faces away from me, seemingly done with her rant.

Who knew Jen was so deep? Uh, not me.

But, as always, she’s right.

Why does everyone seem to understand my heart better than me?

~

I flick a bit of mud off my knee. "I don’t know how you can stand this."

"What? The mud?" Alec looks at me incredulously.

"Uh, no. The flowers." I roll my eyes.

"I’m a country boy, Princess. I’m not afraid to get my hands a little dirty. Devon is all about the farming – you should know that by now."

I make a non-committal noise in the back of my throat and wrinkle my nose at the dirt again.

"You should try it, you might like it."

"What, gardening? No thanks. I’ll hold the bag for Grammy, but that’s it."

"So let me get this straight." Alec puts the trowel down and looks at me. "You’ll try surfing – far more deadly than gardening – yet you won’t dig up a little mud?"

I screw up my face. "Surfing is… Water. It’s wet. Gardening is dirty."

"Well, shit, you don’t say? No wonder you’re off to university." Alec rolls his eyes.

I punch his arm.

"You punch like a girl."

"I am a girl!" I punch him again.

He turns to me, a twinkle in his eye. "Oh, I know, Princess."

Before I can reply I’m hit by a handful of mud. I blink in disbelief.

"You did not just do that," I say.

"What you gonna do about it?" Alec taunts.

I stand and move backwards, discreetly grabbing a small flowerpot filled with soil ready to plant in.

"Nothing," I shrug, keeping my eyes downcast.

"Really?" Alec’s tone is disbelieving and it’s a struggle to keep my face straight but somehow, I’m managing.

"Yeah, nothing. It’s childish." I shrug again.

"Mmm." He eyes me carefully before turning back to what he was doing. I step up next to him and glance down.

"Whatcha doing?" I ask casually.

"Planting, what does it look like?" He looks up at me and I whip the plant pot from behind my back, tipping the soil over his head.

He sputters and curses, pinning me with a playful glare. I giggle and walk backwards. He stands up and walks towards me, his eyes housing a predator-like gleam.

"We’re even," I bargain. "Even. Alec, Alec."

"Oh no, Princess, we are not even." He shakes his head. "But you might wanna stop, or you’re gonna end up over the edge."

Ah, yeah. So I didn’t think that part of my plan through very well.

I stop an inch from Gram’s fence.

"Don’t worry." Alec holds his hands up. "I’m not gonna get you."

I narrow my eyes and rest my hands on Gram’s fence. It gives way a little and I wobble.

Alec shoots forward and grabs me in his arms, pulling me back in.

"I won’t let you fall," he says softly.

"I’m not afraid of falling," I whisper, my heart pounding from both my near fall and his sudden closeness.

"Depends where you’re falling to." His tone matches mine.

I swallow and look up at him. His eyes are fixed on me, emotion showing in them.

"What if you catch me?" I ask in a soft, tentative voice. "Do I have to be afraid then?"

He runs a hand up my arm, my neck, my face, until he’s cupping my head.

"No," he replies. "No, Princess. I’ll catch you when you fall, and then you’ll never have to be afraid of anything again."

My breath hitches and my eyes shut as he dips his face towards mine.

"Lexy, Alec! Dinner.. Oh sugarplum fairies!" I hear Gram call out. "My bad, my bad! Whenever you’re um.. Whenever you’re ready, kids."

Alec groans softly and I exhale, opening my eyes. I step back from him.

"We should go and get cleaned up." I run my fingers through my hair, shaking mud clumps from it.

"Yeah, I guess." Alec looks at me longingly and I flush.

I clear my throat. "Good old Gram."

"Yeah, she has great timing," Alec rolls his eyes and puts his arm over my shoulders. "As long as she’s not around next time I try to kiss you, we’ll be good."

Next time?

CHAPTER TEN

ALEXIS

”Fancy going for dinner?” Alec calls from the side of the road. I lean out of my window.

”With you?”

”No, with the Moomins,” he shouts back.

”In that case, count me in!” I laugh. ”Five minutes, okay?”

I pull the window shut and slide my feet into my white pumps. I check my reflection quickly in the mirror and satisfied, I grab my phone and run downstairs.

”I’m going out for dinner. Bye!” I yell.

”Say hi to lover boy!” Grammy cackles. I ignore her. Silly woman.

I walk calmly down the pathway, a harsh contrast to my skippy-dance down the stairs. Sheesh. I’m turning into one of those girls. Shoot me. Now.

Alec beams as I get into the car, his dimples out in full force.

”Afternoon,” he says and pulls away.

”Afternoon. Where are we going?”

”My house.”

I blink. ”Your house?”

”Yep.” He glances at me. ”No need to seem so scared. I can cook, you know.”

”Good to know.”

”And if I can’t, Mum will be there to take over.”

”Wait, wait, WHAT?” I turn and grip my seat. ”Your mum?”

”Yeah.” He shrugs. ”She’s usually there at dinnertime, you know, family thing?”

”You’re taking me to meet your mum?”

”If you wanna put it that way, then yes, but personally I think it sounds a lot better if we said ‘dinner at Alec’s, and his mum just happens to be there,’ don’t you agree?”

”Don’t try and butter me up, Alec Johnson. You could have warned me,” I huff.