Make Me Forget Read Online Free PDF Page A

moment of shock crosses his face before he lets out a booming laugh. I join in and get the paint off my nose while he wipes the water off his glasses.
    “You always have to take it one step too far, don’t you, Lettie?” he asks, putting them back on while fighting laughter. Dad calls me Lettie most of the time. If he’s angry with me or giving me a lecture, then I’m Charlotte. He could never keep mine and Caroline’s names straight, so he came up with his own system. Somehow, Charlotte turned into Lettie. I don’t mind, it makes me feel special.
    “Me?” I feign innocence, trying not to smile.
    “You’re worse than me.”
    “Am not.”
    “Yes, you are. You always have to have the last word, the last laugh, the last everything.”
    I shrug my shoulders and continue painting. My mind confused over Travis, I twirl my brush in circles on the canvas. After a few minutes, Dad gets up from his seat rather quickly. He exits the room and returns with a mirror. I watch him out of the corner of my eye. He runs around to the front of my easel and places the mirror under my nose. I laugh and push it away. “What are you doing?”
    “Oh, good. I thought maybe you had stopped breathing or something,” he says, putting a hand to his heart. “I mean, you let me have the last word, and I wanted to make sure you were still alive when I did this.” He busts out the running man, then the cabbage patch, followed by what I think is supposed to be the sprinkler. I’m laughing so hard tears are rolling down my cheeks.
    “That. Is what winning looks like.” He snaps his fingers and walks out of the room like a runway model, swaying his hips dramatically. Just when I think he’s gone, he leans back in, gives another snap, and flicks his imaginary hair.
    Mom walks by, and I tell her, “Your husband is a little crazy.”
    “I know. His craziness is one of the things I love about him. He makes me laugh. You should always be with someone who can make you laugh.”
    I wipe my eyes again and pack up my paints. Tomorrow is the barbecue, and I want to make sure I have my outfit ready. Not because Travis is going to be there. No, it has nothing to do with him.
     
    ***
     
    “Hey, look at you. You look super cute!” Meara yells, holding me at arm’s length.
    After many outfits, I decided on a simple red sundress and cowboy boots. The jean jacket vest I have on over top has a lace back, so you can see the red through it. I pulled my hair to the side in a messy braid. I’m glad Meara likes my outfit; she has much better fashion sense than I do. I’m usually a jeans and t-shirts girl but wanted to look nice today.
    “Thanks. Here, I have the fruit salad, and my dad is carrying the Crock-Pot with baked beans.”
    “Mom’s setting everything up in the garage.” She looks past me when a car door slams. “Liam just pulled up. See ya later.” She practically pushes me out of the way to run to Liam. I watch as she jumps into his arms, and he takes a step back to keep from falling. He smiles down at her before leaning down and kissing her. I want that. I want someone to love me so much they don’t care who's watching and still kisses me like it’ll be the last time. I shake my head and head to the garage.
    It’s a beautiful day today. The forecast says it’s supposed to be seventy-four and sunny, a rarity in the Midwest. I set down the bowl of fruit in the garage and take the opportunity to catch up with my Aunt Sally. I haven’t seen much of her since I’ve been back. We talk for a while, and when more guests start to arrive, I excuse myself and go back outside. The sun blinds me as I step out of the garage and run into somebody.
    “I’m so sorry.” I look up and see a guy with his hair slicked back and a gold chain around his neck. He’s either in the mafia or thinks it's a different generation.
    “S’all good.” He grabs my arms to steady me and the rough callouses on his fingers scrape across my skin, sending chills