Free The Lonely by Tara Brown Page A

to
be her. So I did everything she did from that day on. So the next month, when
we got ice cream, I got a huge bowl. More than the other kids. It wasn’t pink.
It was chocolate."
    I
have never shared a memory with another person. Except Dr. Bradley but somehow
she seems to know my memories better than I do.
    He
takes a bite and smoothes his mouth over the spoonful, leaving a mound behind.
"That's the saddest thing I've ever heard I think."
    I
shrug, "It wasn’t sad though. It was motivating. It was like what your
uncle's friend said. It was a baby step out of my comfort zone."
    His
eyes light up, "You should try to sleep at my house. Tonight." His
lips play with a grin. He's trying to cheer me up.
    But
I panic. I drop my spoon in the bowl. It's instant discomfort and an increase
in my heart rate.
    He
puts a hand out, "Slow down. Just stop and think. It's nothing more than
sleeping. Nothing."
    I
shake my head, "No."
    "Come
back and watch a movie? Just snuggle?"
    I
laugh nervously. My heart is still thumping wildly. I nod, "Okay. Just a
movie." I remind myself he is the cure to the lonely and chances are it's
going to be a long night at my place if I go home. Michelle will leave and go
be with Stuart.
    I
can't eat any more ice cream. I push the bowl away. I send a quick text, 'Going
to his place. Night'
    He
doesn’t answer me. He's still pissed about the whatever and the money talk.
    "You
done?" Sebastian looks confused.
    I
nod.
    "Did
I push you too hard?"
    I
nod again, "It's okay. I need pushes. You're the only one who challenges
my quirks."
    He
smiles and stands. He takes my hand, without cleaning. His hand is a bit
sticky. I could die but I force myself to let him. He drags me from the
restaurant. We walk back to his place quickly.
    "Romance
or horror or comedy or drama?"
    I
shrug, "I don’t know. I've only seen a few movies."
    He
smiles, "I have just the thing."
    Back
at his apartment I discover, 'just the thing' is actually a movie I've seen and
love. I don’t tell him. I let him turn it on and pretend to be surprised. I've
literally seen like twenty movies in my life and he picks the one I love. It
warms my heart, as does his reasoning for picking it. It's his little sister's
favorite movie.
    The
movie is called Amelie. It's French and I adore it. It's romantic and fun and I
wish I were her. She reminds me of Michelle in a lot of ways.
    "Audrey
Tautou is probably one of the most beautiful women in the world." I
whisper as the movie starts. He pulls me in close to him. The hardness of his
body is somehow comfortable. I love the feel of where our bodies meet. The heat
that lies in the crease between us could light up the world.
    "She's
not as beautiful as you are." He whispers. I smile, "Liar." He
laughs.
    He
tilts my face up and kisses me. In the flickering lights of the movie I forget
who I am. I let his arms encompass me. I let his body wrap around mine. He
pulls me in, kissing desperately. His hands move in a way that’s new. They're
driven and hungry. Like mine. We match for a change. His hand slowly drags my
shirt up my back. I moan into his mouth. He slides himself against me. The
hardness of him is everywhere. It's heady and rich. My hands are in his hair,
pulling at him, dragging him onto me. It hits before I realize. I've pulled off
my shirt. My bra and naked skin are rubbing against his sweater. He pulls it
off and that’s when I notice it. The sickening feeling filling up my stomach.
    The
weight of him against me is too much.
    I
shove hard.
    I
roll off the bed, grabbing for the waist bin. I lose the small amount of ice
cream and the pizza we had earlier. I gag, trying to be quiet. I leave my shoes
and my shirt. I hug the bin and run for the bathroom. I close the door and sink
against it. The weight of him and the feel of his skin, it was magical but it
came with a flash of something else.
    A
dark figure.
    There
was someone else in our embrace. They were there. I was watching him through a
tiny crack in