Free (Once) Again by Theresa Paolo Page B
Authors: Theresa Paolo
I’d never moved on, and after five minutes with her, it hit me like the bullet that ripped through my thigh. Hard and fast, shattering my world.
I was too late. The only person I had to blame was me. Still, I couldn’t stand there and act as if I were happy for her. I certainly didn’t want any more of her pity. I had enough of that to last me a lifetime.
“Well this has been fun and all, but if you’ll excuse us.”
“Josh, don’t be rude,” Liz said, and I wished I were five again so I could put my hands over my ears and tell her I wasn’t listening.
“Have fun at the aquarium,” I said, walking in between them so they had to let their hands go. I leaned into Darren. “Keep her away from the sea lions. She’s scared shitless of them.”
Darren’s eyes shot to Kat, and her mouth dropped open in disbelief like she was shocked I remembered. She really underestimated me. I remembered everything about her. Besides, it’s not every day you come across a girl who is scared of a sea lion. Most of the time, they’re all, “Oh it’s so cute!” Not Kat. One bad experience with a sea lion kiss when she was seven and the poor girl was scarred for life.
Before I walked away, I bent to Kat and whispered against her ear. “I never want you to be scared of anything.” Kat looked down and ran her fingers over her ring, pulling it up and down, revealing her tattoo. My eyes lingered on it for a second, long enough to remember the excitement in her eyes when she’d first gotten it, then I staggered away.
I heard my sister apologize for my behavior. Why? I had no idea. I thought I was pretty damn cordial considering Kat had had her tongue in my mouth only the day before.
“Wait!” Liz said, and I tried not to listen, but dammit I was curious as hell. “Your tattoo.”
Oh shit.
“That’s weird. Josh has the same one,” Liz said, and I hurried away from them and right into the restaurant.
“Table for three,” I said to the hostess, and as she turned to grab menus, I jolted forward from a hard shove to my back, almost losing my balance. For once I was grateful for my crutches. I straightened myself and turned to my sister. “What the hell, Liz?”
“Explain yourself!” she demanded, and I let my head fall back in annoyance before looking back to her.
“Nothing to explain,” I said matter-of-factly.
Liz’s hands planted firmly on her hips, and she didn’t move even at the hostess’s voice. Not wanting to be rude as my sister claimed I was, I held up a finger to the poor girl.
“What is going on with you and Kat? There’s something between you. Isn’t there?”
“No.” Maybe. Yes.
“Liz, why don’t you just let it go? He obviously doesn’t want to talk about it,” Zach said, and I gave him an appreciative smile.
“I don’t care if he doesn’t want to talk about it. I didn’t want to talk about you, and he made me. So consider this payback.”
If I didn’t satisfy Liz’s curiosity, I’d be standing in the entrance of Jimmy’s Burger Shack for the rest of my life.
“Fine. Maybe there
was
. It obviously doesn’t matter anymore. Can we eat now?”
Liz sidestepped, and I followed the hostess to a booth. Liz jumped in before I managed to rest my crutches against the wall and hobble to sit.
“Talk,” she said, and I pinched the bridge of my nose, knowing damn well she wasn’t going to let it go.
“Do I have to?”
Zach gave me another sympathetic look, but there was nothing he could do. I was backed into a corner, and my only option was to spill my guts.
“Yes.”
I didn’t answer her. I sat there, staring at a splotch of dried ketchup on my menu.
“Fine I’ll get you started. How did you know about her fear of sea lions? And why do you two have the same tattoo? On the exact same finger?”
“How do you even know about my tattoo? I keep it covered.”
“Not well enough. By the looks of it, Kat tries to hide it too. But why? What aren’t you telling me?”
I
I was too late. The only person I had to blame was me. Still, I couldn’t stand there and act as if I were happy for her. I certainly didn’t want any more of her pity. I had enough of that to last me a lifetime.
“Well this has been fun and all, but if you’ll excuse us.”
“Josh, don’t be rude,” Liz said, and I wished I were five again so I could put my hands over my ears and tell her I wasn’t listening.
“Have fun at the aquarium,” I said, walking in between them so they had to let their hands go. I leaned into Darren. “Keep her away from the sea lions. She’s scared shitless of them.”
Darren’s eyes shot to Kat, and her mouth dropped open in disbelief like she was shocked I remembered. She really underestimated me. I remembered everything about her. Besides, it’s not every day you come across a girl who is scared of a sea lion. Most of the time, they’re all, “Oh it’s so cute!” Not Kat. One bad experience with a sea lion kiss when she was seven and the poor girl was scarred for life.
Before I walked away, I bent to Kat and whispered against her ear. “I never want you to be scared of anything.” Kat looked down and ran her fingers over her ring, pulling it up and down, revealing her tattoo. My eyes lingered on it for a second, long enough to remember the excitement in her eyes when she’d first gotten it, then I staggered away.
I heard my sister apologize for my behavior. Why? I had no idea. I thought I was pretty damn cordial considering Kat had had her tongue in my mouth only the day before.
“Wait!” Liz said, and I tried not to listen, but dammit I was curious as hell. “Your tattoo.”
Oh shit.
“That’s weird. Josh has the same one,” Liz said, and I hurried away from them and right into the restaurant.
“Table for three,” I said to the hostess, and as she turned to grab menus, I jolted forward from a hard shove to my back, almost losing my balance. For once I was grateful for my crutches. I straightened myself and turned to my sister. “What the hell, Liz?”
“Explain yourself!” she demanded, and I let my head fall back in annoyance before looking back to her.
“Nothing to explain,” I said matter-of-factly.
Liz’s hands planted firmly on her hips, and she didn’t move even at the hostess’s voice. Not wanting to be rude as my sister claimed I was, I held up a finger to the poor girl.
“What is going on with you and Kat? There’s something between you. Isn’t there?”
“No.” Maybe. Yes.
“Liz, why don’t you just let it go? He obviously doesn’t want to talk about it,” Zach said, and I gave him an appreciative smile.
“I don’t care if he doesn’t want to talk about it. I didn’t want to talk about you, and he made me. So consider this payback.”
If I didn’t satisfy Liz’s curiosity, I’d be standing in the entrance of Jimmy’s Burger Shack for the rest of my life.
“Fine. Maybe there
was
. It obviously doesn’t matter anymore. Can we eat now?”
Liz sidestepped, and I followed the hostess to a booth. Liz jumped in before I managed to rest my crutches against the wall and hobble to sit.
“Talk,” she said, and I pinched the bridge of my nose, knowing damn well she wasn’t going to let it go.
“Do I have to?”
Zach gave me another sympathetic look, but there was nothing he could do. I was backed into a corner, and my only option was to spill my guts.
“Yes.”
I didn’t answer her. I sat there, staring at a splotch of dried ketchup on my menu.
“Fine I’ll get you started. How did you know about her fear of sea lions? And why do you two have the same tattoo? On the exact same finger?”
“How do you even know about my tattoo? I keep it covered.”
“Not well enough. By the looks of it, Kat tries to hide it too. But why? What aren’t you telling me?”
I