Forever Remember: The Rose Code

Chapter 5: Sweet Talk

Dean and I relaxed in the lounge chairs, soaking up the sun's rays, absorbed in our own thoughts. Mine should have been about finding another way to talk to Tyler, but instead they were about Dean kissing Melaney.

Finally, I had to ask. "So why did you kiss Melaney? Because I banned it?"

Dean continued to gaze at the clear blue sky. "That was almost two years ago."

"I still want to know why you did it," I probed, even though I could tell from his annoyed tone that he did not want to talk about it.

After several seconds of strained silence, he answered without looking at me, "Because she's kind and clever and beautiful, inside and out. She's also -"

I waved my hand to stop his explanation. "Hello. I know all of Melaney's good qualities. She is my best friend."

He sat up straight and glared at me. "You think she's too good for me."

Now I had his attention. "I didn't say that!"

"No, but you thought it," Dean countered. "That's why I never told you that I kissed her. I knew you would disapprove."

"I don't want my best friend to get her heart broken," I said softly, trying to control my temper.

"Have some faith in me." He tapped his chest with his fist. "I am capable of being a good guy."

"Faith?" I snorted. "I know you too well, little brother. I've seen some of your beach bunnies and biker chicks. How many girls have you gone out with in the past three months?" I asked, recalling prior blonde bimbos in teeny, string bikinis and Goth girls in all black, leather, and tattoos.

"Not fair!" He crossed his arms over his chest. "I move around a lot in the summer."

"I'll bet you've left a trail of broken hearts from central PA to the Atlantic coast."

"I'd be monogamous if I had a girlfriend like Melaney. She'd keep me on the straight and narrow." He sounded so sincere. I almost believed him.

"You can't be kept, Dean. You're a free spirit. To be happy forever after, you need to find someone as wild and crazy and amazing as you."

"Do my ears deceive me, or was that a compliment?" he asked, smirking.

"Your ears are fine, but my head is killing me. Could you find me some pain reliever?" I pleaded, rubbing my forehead with the ice pack.

"It almost kills you to say something nice about me, doesn't it? Your face has this greenish tint to it."

"Please just get me some ibuprofen," I urged as my stomach churned. "Don't steal it. Be your charming self and ask nicely."

"Okay. I'll be back soon. Don't throw up!" He got out of his lounge chair and headed to the counter.

"I'll try not to." Wanting to vomit was a sure sign that I had a concussion. How was I going to explain the lump to my parents? Thinking made my head pound harder. Dean could concoct a logical excuse for me. He had plenty of practice fabricating alibis and getting females to give him gifts.

I watched him sweet talk the pretty brunette at the snack bar into locating some medicine for me. In less than five minutes, he came back with two pills in one hand and an iced tea in the other.

"Good work, Don Juan." I took the pills and popped them in my mouth and then washed them down with the iced tea. "Did you get her number?"

"Actually, I got two." Dean held up his hand. Two phone numbers were written on his palm.