Talania - a Trip Down Memory Lane... (11 page)

“Yes mother, where are my copies?”

Shit—pissed crazy-ass beautiful girl is back.

“Where? At the Laguna house?” She throws her palm to her forehead. “You mean they were right under my nose the entire time?” She closes her eyes. She only does that when someone is pissing her off and she is trying to cool down. “I’m done talking now. I need to go get ready. Bye,” she hangs up.

“Apparently they’re all in the attic at the Laguna house. I’m going to drive there tomorrow and get everything.” She puts her phone on the counter.

“You want me to come with you?” Please say yes.

She tilts her head, smirking. “What do you think?” she teases me.

“Good. Now let’s get ready.” I drag her towards the bedroom.

I watch her the entire time she gets ready. Every move she makes is with such care. She is so graceful. I have fucking missed her. She takes two chopsticks out of her makeup bag. Making two small buns near her neckline, she runs the sticks through them. Something so damn simple makes her look so exotic. I can’t take it anymore; I have to touch her.

I walk up behind her in the mirror, wrapping my arms around her waist. I lean into her, kissing her neck on the spot she used to love. She shivers.

Fuck, she smells so good!

“You almost ready baby?” I kiss her neck again.

She leans her head against mine. “Yeah,” she whispers, turning around in my arms. Evelyn kisses my bottom lip, making me moan.

“Baby, the littlest touch is going to make us late,” I groan.

She rolls her eyes and pulls away, slipping into those fucking awesome black heels she wore the other night.

“I didn’t know you brought those.” I point to her shoes.

“A real woman never leaves the house without heels,” she says and shrugs. “Well, at least that’s what Cosmo said when I was reading it during radiation.”

“Ev.” I look into her eyes.

Fuck, I hate this shit that I wasn’t there for her.

“C’mon handsome, you’re gonna get me drunk tonight and sing to me.”

Well, fuck me sideways. I ain’t going to argue with the girl.

I try to open the jeep door for her and she smacks my hand away. “Tristan,” she scolds.

“I’m sorry, you’ve always hated that.”

She hums to the radio all the way to my club. When we pull up and get out, I take her arm in mine.

“I have a question.”

“What’s that crazy girl?” I kiss her temple.

“If Adella knew you, why did she act like she was begging Skinny to let us in?” She stops waiting for my answer.

“Well, for one, she likes to boost Skinny’s ego, and two, she’s more Shawn’s friend than mine.” I shrug.

Evelyn smiles and starts pulling me to the door. “I want to play with Skinny, so go with it, okay?” She smirks.

Oh, shit! That Evelyn smirk, the one she just did, always got us into fucking trouble!

We walk up to Skinny and he does a double take, quirking his brow and folding his arms.

“Skinny, how are you baby?” she purrs, running her fingernail down his arm.

My eyes go wide.

Shit, she is going all in!

“Tristan, what the hell is this baby girl doing?” He grumbles.

“How the fuck am I supposed to know? You’re the one that she knows on a first name basis.” I shrug as if it’s no big deal.

“I see…well, I’m doing just fine baby girl and you?”

“Well I was having such a shit day,” she mock sighs, “until I saw you standing here,” she sexily whispers.

I cough.

Oh shit, she is going to kill me.

Skinny rolls his eyes. “Tristan, you better get a hold of your girl before I drag her fine ass to the break room.” He grins at her.

“Well, you both suck. That was no fun at all,” she steps over the velvet rope.

“Where did you get that one Trist?”

I don’t even take my eyes off Ev’s ass while I answer him.

“She’s ‘Love Lost’ Skinny and I gotta go.” I smack him on the back stepping over the rope chasing down my crazy-ass beautiful girl.

Tristan finds me sitting in his booth.

“I’m sorry; I don’t know where that came from. I’ve never done anything like that before.”

“Yes you have. That evil Evelyn grin clued me in to play along or you’d have my nut-sac.” He scoots in next to me, motioning the waitress over.

“Really? I was that outgoing?” I ask and all I want to do is cry because I don’t even know who the hell I am anymore. “I wish I could remember.”

“You’re finding yourself quicker than you think babe. Really, you are,” he assures me.

A brunette waitress who is about six feet tall walks up to our table. She is wearing black booty shorts and a tiny black top with ‘Before and After’ splashed across the front in red letters and a sultry look on her face.

“Tristan, what can I get for you?” she purrs.

Just Tristan? I am sitting right here.

“First, you can get Ev anything she wants on the house, anytime she’s in here.”

She looks over to me with a smirk.

“Hello.” I force a smile. “Tristan baby, can you order for me?” I pull on his shirt, bringing him closer, allowing me to place a sexy kiss on his lips. “Please,” I whisper, getting up.

“Baby, where are you going?” he asks, his eyes hooded over.

I smile. “Just the ladies room. Remember, you promised.” I point out, reminding him that he was supposed to be getting me drunk.

I reach the bathroom and place my hands on the counter, breathing in a deeply.

Who the hell knew he attracted so much attention? I don’t know if I can do this. I am supposed to be living carefree. Why would he want me to fall for him again if he can have whomever he wants? I hear the bathroom door swing open and use the mirror to look. I roll my eyes— it is the waitress.

“So you’re the treat for the night,” the waitress hisses at me.

“I guess so.” I push past her walking out of the bathroom. I do not need this shit. I need to pull a little further away.

I see the rest of the band, Adella, and a few groupies at the table when I walk up. Yeah, I think to myself, I cannot do this all the time.

“Ev!” Adella screeches.

“A-del-la,” I laughingly drag out her name.

I sit back down next to Tristan, who has a scowl on his beautiful face.

“What’s wrong?” he whispers loud enough so I can hear over the music.

How does he know something is wrong?

“Nothing.” I fake a smile. “Is this for me?” I point to a mixed drink.

“Yes, but I still know something is wrong Ev. You’re wearing that look,” he says, dragging his hand up his face, aggravated.

“It’s just you’ve got to remember I’ve been cooped up for years Tristan, and all of them,” I gesture with my hand towards the groupies, “are a lot to take in.” I sip my drink.

“Bullshit Ev. That may bother you, but that isn’t the only thing.”

What is he, a mind reader?

I lean back in the booth. “The waitress who took our order? She cornered me in the bathroom. I come back out here and the table is already full. Let’s not forget to mention Jenelle at your condo earlier. Tristan, this is too much for me. I am still healing. I can’t do all this, especially when I’m trying to get my memories back.”

Dragging in a breath, I force myself to look him straight in the face. I am not prepared for what I see. It is a look of pure hatred. I gasp loudly.

“You’re not prepared for me and everything that comes with me? Well, let me tell you something Evelyn Beaumont. I wasn’t prepared for you to walk back into my fucking life. I was finally coming to grips with you being gone; finally filling the gaping hole you left in my heart. You know, I wish I had never fucking made that promise to you when I was sixteen,” and with that he slams his fist to the table. I jump. He scoots out of the booth. Everyone has gone silent now as I watch him walk away.

I grab my chest.

Why does my heart hurt? What just happened? I can’t breathe. Why can’t I breathe? What promise did he make?

“Drake,” I whisper and look up at him. “What promise did he make me?”

“Sunshine,” he groans, “I can’t tell you that. That’s not one of our memories.”

“I think I’m going to go home,” I mumble, getting up from the table.

“I’ll walk you Ev.” Adella jumps up.

“No Adella, I’m going home…so I can take a breather. It’s been a strange few days.” I hug her.

“I’ll see ya.” I wave to them.

“Sunshine!” Drake hollers, but I keep walking. “Damn it Ev! You can’t fucking leave again!” he yells.

That is when I start feeling my blood boil. I flip around, standing firm.

“I don’t get to leave?” I yell. “I’m sorry; I didn’t know I had a choice when I was sixteen. Excuse the hell out of me for getting brain cancer and forgetting everybody I knew and loved. Excuse me for feeling alone, because I was Drake. I was so fucking alone. I don’t even know who I am. I don’t know who I was. Do you have any idea how that feels? Yeah, I’m glad I survived, but this is horrible, this feeling of emptiness.” I wipe the tears from my eyes. “This feeling of emptiness, I wouldn’t wish it on the worst kind of evil.” I dry my eyes with the back of my hand like a child would. Drake just stands there, looking at me. “Bye Drake.” I hug him stiffly and walk away.

“He’s your home, you know, just like you’re his home!” Drake yells.

I don’t know how to respond to that so I just keep on walking until I make it back to my dorm room. I quickly pack a suitcase, throw in my phone charger, and finally grab the keys to my car. I don’t know why I feel like I have to run. I just feel like I need to leave.

I climb into my Mustang and head straight to Laguna, where my family’s vacation house is. I must drive past the speed limit, because I make a two hour drive in an hour and half.

I stop and look at the ‘memory loss’ house. It holds memories inside it that I can’t even remember and it eats me up.

It is a beautiful beach home, built entirely out of wood, giving it the feel of a cabin. There are double glass doors at the front and its two stories high, but I can’t remember the five years of my life when I spent time here. I park in the driveway and drag my suitcase to the door.