Can't Remember to Forget You

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Cassie

The long ride to the restaurant had been pretty quiet.

Troy was being very sweet and was trying really hard to keep conversation flowing, but my head was just elsewhere.

Back at Owen's house to be exact.

I can't believe he was still showing off all of his little girlfriends like it was going to bug me. He is such a pig it is ridiculous. I honestly haven't been able to figure out why he would want to hang around these girls. If I thought the last one was stuck up and snobby, this other girl had made her seem like an angel. I ran into Owen's little friend in the bathroom last night. I think her name was Baily. She'd given me the stank eye and laughed in my face after looking me over like I was so beneath her. I don't usually have violent thoughts, but that girl's attitude sure made me want to punch her right in the little fake nose.

"Cass?" Troy's voice butted into my thoughts. "I asked if you know what you want to order."

Gosh, I am being a terrible date. I laughed it off and looked back down at my menu. For a pizza place, this was a pretty long and extensive menu. It was also a bit fancier than I would have guessed. All the people around us at other tables were laughing and enjoying themselves, meanwhile I sit here in this awesome place surrounded by the best pizzas I have ever seen and all I can think of is what is going on back at the house. "I think I am going to try the Blazing Yonkers." I said smiling at the name.

Troy laughed, "That is the one that Owen always gets." He said closing his menu in front of him. "It's really good, but it is pretty spicy. You sure you can handle it?" He joked with me.

"Anything Owen can do, I can do better." I was trying to make a joke but the look on Troy's face told me he wasn't getting it.

The waiter came by and got our orders and then left us again to our awkward silence. Troy was being weird. He was usually so flirty and bubbly, but he seemed reserved tonight. He was still incredibly sweet and funny, but there was something different about the way he was talking to me now.

I figured the date was already kind of a dud so what could asking a few questions hurt. "So that Baily girl." I said trying to get some information on her.

Troy rolled his eyes. "Don't even talk to me about her. That girl is a bitchy train wreck."

"Good, I am not the only one who thought so." I laughed. "Are she and Owen...?"

"Hell no." He said confidently. "Owen only likes her because she is obsessed with him and she's an easy lay."

"Oh." Was all I could get out of my mouth.

Troy flipped his black hair away from his kind eyes. "If Owen ever goes for a girl, it won't be one like her. Baily is just like all the other girls Owen goes with.

"Well what about the girl from the other night? He seemed to really like her." I said trying to sound disinterested, but failing.

"Same thing as with Baily. She's just around." He took a long sip of his soda and then quickly checked the time on his watch.

Great, I am boring him to death. He will probably go home and tell Owen how lame I am. I knew I should just drop the whole conversation but something he said had piqued my interest. "When you said Owen wouldn't go for a girl like Baily, what did you mean? What kind of girl do you think he would like?"

Troy gave me a look through narrowed eyes. "Goddamn." He said. "I just can't win." I stared at him confused. "You like him too." He said.

"What?" I interjected quickly. "No way, Owen? That's hilarious." I thought I sounded confident, but Troy saw straight through it.

I watched confused as he got up and walked to the back of the restaurant and headed into the bathroom. Less than two minutes passed and he came back out and sat down. "Sorry about that," he apologized. "So I was thinking and I think we should just be friends."

"Friends?" I repeated him.

"Yeah, you are really cool and I like spending time with you. I just don't think we are super compatible, you know what I mean?" He asked.

I wasn't sure what to think of it. I really do like Troy, but I don't think I want to date him really. The main reason I asked him out was because Owen was rubbing his girlfriends in my face. "I think that sounds like a good idea." I agreed with him.

He laughed and held his hand out over the table. "Friends?" He asked.

I reached out and shook his hand. "Friends." I laughed.

The place was packed so food was taking a while, but Troy and I had fallen back into easy conversation now that we weren't trying to keep up the pretenses of this being a date. It had been just over twenty minutes when I felt a draft come in. I turned my head to look at the door and I saw Owen had just walked in.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

Owen had on a button down black shirt, nice jeans, and he was holding a small bouquet of red roses. I felt electricity run through me just at the sight of him. Maybe I was seeing things. It was possible I had been thinking about him so much that I made a mirage of him appear. He smiled an uncertain grin my way.

What on earth was he doing here? Had he brought a date with him? I waited for someone else to follow him in the door but no one ever did.

I just stared at him for a moment until he started to walk our way. I looked over to Troy, who was grinning from ear to ear and glancing back and forth between the two of us.

Owen reached our table and stood awkwardly next to Troy. I was so confused I had to keep mentally reminding myself to breath. Troy stood up quickly and clapped Owen on the back of the shoulder. "Here you go man." He said sliding Owen into the chair in front of me. Troy looked at the two of us sitting there and smiled. "Alright Cassie," He said turning his eyes on me. "You like Owen, Owen likes you." He looked back to Owen. "You know what two people do when they both like each other? They go on a date." He answered his own question. "Ah, look." He said pointing to a waiter walking our way. "Here comes your food." He leaned down and kissed my cheek and then turned and walked away.

The waiter laid our food out on the table, only eying the change of date for a moment and then scurried away.

I couldn't bring my eyes up to meet Owen's. My face was blazing hot and I was sure I was tomato red right now.

"So," Owen broke the silence. "I hear you've got a thing for me."