Free Remembering Phoenix by Randa Lynn Page A

down on the only couch in her living room. “Your jacket is hanging on the rack by the fridge. Get it and go.”
    I walk over and retrieve my coat before sitting back down on the couch. I’m not ready to go, and I don’t think she’s really ready for me to go, either. “Need help cleaning up?”
    She stares blankly for a beat. “Why are you being nice again?”
    “Uh, because I’m a nice guy?”
    “That’s been disproven.”
    “How so?”
    She scoffs. “Because you took advantage of me.”
    I shrug. “You kissed me back.”
    “Did not.”
    “You did. Our tongues tangled. You kissed me back.”
    “Tangled? Gross. Could you stop? I’m not in the mood to argue with you.” She leans her head back and looks up at the ceiling, sighing heavily.
    “Okay. But I win. Now, do you need help cleaning this mess up?”
    “You did not win.” She looks around the living room, whispering to herself, “Holy crap. It is a mess.”
    “It is,” I agree.
    “I don’t even remember doing any of this,” she admits, dropping her face into her hands. I get up and start picking up the scattered photo albums. “You don’t have to do that.”
    I drop the pile of pictures on the coffee table. “I know.”
    “Then stop.”
    I ignore her, picking up the rest of the mess before putting it up. “Do you have a broom and a dust pan?”
    “You sweep?”
    “No. But I also don’t stitch feet up well, so I’m going to sweep up this glass. I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”
    “You don’t have to take care of me,” she snaps.
    I look her straight in the eyes. “I think you’re pretty capable of doing it on your own.”
    She crosses her arms over her chest defensively. “Then leave and let me do it.”
    “I’ve got you, Charlie.”
    “I don’t need you to got me, Slayter,” she snaps.
    Once again, I ignore her. I sure as hell don’t think I need to, but I can’t help but want to. And damn, if it wouldn’t make my life easier if I just walked out that door and forgot all about Charlie McGee. But I can’t because she’s stuck in my head.
    I walk into the kitchen, looking around for the broom. I open up the pantry and spot it. After sweeping up the glass and dropping it in the trash, I put the broom up and walk back into the living room where Charlie is still nicely planted on the couch. “Your feet should be safe now.”
    “Thanks,” she whispers, pulling her knees up to her chest.
    “When do you leave?”
    She looks at me, confusion masks her face. “What?”
    “Lizzie said you were going to some photography thing.”
    “I can’t believe you remember that.”
    “I remember everything that has to do with you.” When the words come out of my mouth, I regret it. I regret it because I’m scared of scaring her away. The last thing I want is for her to run when I have finally conceded to the fact that I want her. Her green eyes widen at my confession, so I change the subject quickly, needing the mood to lighten. “Tired of seeing me, yeah?”
    She laughs lightly. “Actually, yeah. You’re distracting.”
    “Attractive, you mean?” I wink, thankful she got over my slip up quickly.
    “Distracting,” she corrects, shaking her head.
    “Same thing.” She rolls her eyes and smiles. She smiles, and I feel some twitching going on in my chest and it needs to fucking stop. “Want to go grab pizza?” I’m suddenly really hungry for pizza and she seems like the perfect person to do that with.
    “No.”
    “Okay, well, pizza can come to us.”
    “You don’t give up, do you? I’m not kissing you again, so you can go ahead and get that out of your head.”
    I dial the pizza place down the street and order a large pepperoni pizza. I look back up at Charlie. “Who said I wanted to kiss you again?”
    She looks at me stunned for a few seconds. “Uh. No one.”
    “Maybe I just like your company,” I sit back down on the couch, grabbing the remote and turn the television on, flipping through channels.
    “I’m