Can't Remember to Forget You

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Owen

I can't believe I had let her get in my head.

I was being a total tool, daydreaming about a girl. Girls are only good for one thing. I will never forget that again. Cassie isn't any different from anyone else, and that is just plain and simple. I hadn't been bothered at all by the fact that she kissed Troy. Why would I be? I had no reason to be jealous, we weren't a thing. I gave Troy my blessing, and she clearly likes him.

No matter how much I said all of this in my head, I couldn't make any of it stick. There wasn't any truth behind it. Cassie is different, and I sure as hell don't ever want to see her kissing some other guy again. That shit had actually hurt. I've never had that reaction to a girl before. Sure, I know I was the one being all over Tracy and parading her around in front of Cassie, but I only did that because I was feeling down about her not caring about all of the hard work I had put into surprising her.

I shouldn't have ever involved Troy, maybe then it would have been different. I actually had to wonder if he had even told her that the whole plan was my idea, or if he had let her think that he was the one who did it all. There was no way for me to ask without feeling pathetic.

Why had I lied to Troy about the way I'm feeling for her? Of all people, Troy would get it. He talks about falling in love with different girls all the time. I could have just been honest about it, then he would have backed off of Cassie. If I had, I wonder if Cassie would have been kissing me instead of him that night.

I sat up in my bed, careful not to disturb Baily who was asleep next to me. She got here yesterday. I didn't want Cassie leaving for her big date with Troy tonight, and be thinking I was at home alone. I had made sure she knew Baily was here. I saw the way Cassie was looking at me before she leaned in and kissed Troy. That girl knew what I was doing, and she gave it right back. What I can't piece though is why she would care. If it bothered her that I was with other girls, does that mean she likes me? Or is she just uncomfortable around me in general.

Cassie is always watching me.

I have seen her do it a thousand times. Since the day I walked into her hospital room I have noticed her cutting her eyes my way, then quickly acting like she hadn't. I have some sort of effect on her, which I guess is good, I just don't know what kind yet.

Baily mumbled something and then rolled over and rested her hand on my lower stomach. I looked over at her again and she was smiling that smile. She pushed her hand slightly lower and then brought it back up quickly. She was toying with me. Baily knows how much I hate that. I flipped over on top of her and she giggled her annoying little laugh.

I was about to make her shut up by kissing her but there was a loud knock on my door and then it swung open.

"Woah!" Troy said as he walked in the room. "My bad guys." He laughed, shielding his eyes while I rolled off of Baily and she covered herself with the sheet.

"What the hell do you want Troy?" Bailey asked annoyed.

Troy couldn't keep it together. He just kept laughing every time he tried to look back at us. "Not important." He got out between laughs. "We can talk...later." Then he turned and walked into the hallway.

I jumped from the bed and went to follow him, ignoring Baily's whining. "Hey," I called to him. "Are you here to get Cassie?" I asked him when I caught up to him at the top of the stairs.

He was still grinning. "Yeah, she wasn't ready yet, so I thought I'd come talk to you."

"About what?"

He looked around like someone was going to hear him. "Halloway." He said cryptically.

I gave him a look, trying to gage whether he was shitting me or not. "What about him?"

"He's back." Troy whispered, the smile gone.

"Fuck!" I cursed loudly. This is not good at all.

My bedroom door creaked open and Baily stuck her head out. "Are you coming back or what?" She asked.

I rolled my eyes at her. "Get your ass back in there. I will only be a second."

She slammed the door as she went back in.

Troy smacked my shoulder. "It's good, we can talk about it later." He told me then turned to walk down the stairs.

I was walking back to my room and had my hand on the handle when I turned back and ran down the stairs. Troy was standing at the front door waiting on Cassie. "Hey, so," I tried to sound totally casual. "Where are you guys going to go?"

"I was going to take her to Paul's Pizza." He said. "She mentioned the other night wanting to try real New York pizza so..." He trailed off.

I nodded my head. "Yeah, that'll be good. She will really like that." I shifted my weight on my feet. "Any other plans?"

"I don't know," He answered. "Thought I'd see how the night went."

"What time are you planning on getting her back?" God, now I sound like her father, drilling the dude. "Never mind." I said quickly and started to walk away.

"You fucking ass hole." Troy said with his eyes wide and a huge smile. I gave him a questioning look. "You do like her."

"I don't know what you're talking about." I lied.

Troy shook his head and crossed his arms. "You're a bad liar." He informed me. "You've seriously got it bad for a girl."

I stepped towards him shooshing, and looking over my shoulder to make sure she wasn't anywhere near where she could have heard him.

Troy let out a huge chuckle at my reaction, I had to smile a little too. "Bro, I won't take her out. You obviously got something going there."

"No." I said firmly. "I already gave you my blessing, and I could tell she likes you. I don't want her to get hurt. I promise I will find a way to be cool with it. Just...I don't know, be careful with her."

"I don't know man." He said softly. "I've never heard you talk about a girl that way, I think you should..."

I cut him off. "No, she doesn't want me to." I said. "She asked you, not me. I'm cool." I told him again.

We couldn't argue about it anymore because Cassie emerged at the top of the stairs.

Both mine and Troy's eyes were glued to her every move. She was looking fucking insanely gorgeous. She had curled her hair in large, loose, bouncy curls. She had a on a red top, skinny jeans, and strappy heels that made her legs look even longer than usual. The closer she got, the harder it was to even think of looking away. Cassie's red lips were all I could focus on.

I wanted to yell to Troy that I changed my mind, but when I looked to him and then back to her, I saw that they were staring at each other. She wasn't looking at me, so I need to just get out of the way. I locked my eyes on the floor and ran back up to my room, smelling her coconut perfume the whole way.

As soon as I got in the bed Baily started trying to pick up where we left off but I didn't even want to pretend I was interested in her right now. "Let's just put in a movie or something, I'm not feeling up to that right now." I told her.

She looked annoyed but when I let her pick the movie she shut up.

We were about an hour into whatever this disaster of a movie was when my phone started ringing.

When I saw it was Troy I answered immediately.

"Hello?" I said concerned. I was afraid something had happened, why else would he call on a date.

"Hey dude, you need to get down here." He said.

"What happened?" I asked jumping up to get dressed.

"Nothing bad, man chill. You were wrong about Cassie." He told me. "She has asked about you at least 10 times in the past hour. The girl likes you too man. Get your ass down here and take over this date."