mean Ben
Hamilton?”
“You know him?”
“He’s my cousin.”
“Wow.” What on earth?
“Yeah. Wow.”
I take a moment to let everything sink in
before asking, “Any other revelation?”
“What do you want to know? I think I covered
everything up.”
“I don’t know how to ask . . .”
“Just ask, Rhy. I don’t have anything to hide
from you. I want to be honest with you. What is it?”
I stutter as I ask, “Did you and Riley uhm .
. . you know, did it?”
“Did what?”
“The same thing that she and Ben did. You
know, when you were still together.”
“Oh.” His blood is washed-out from his
face.
“So?”
He catches his breath, and I know his answer
even before he speaks. “Yes.”
I know I shouldn’t have asked, and I know I
should not feel hurt because it happened before me, but still.
I take a deep breath and count to ten.
“Why?”
“I’m a guy, Rhy. Besides, I thought Riley
would be my forever girl. I am a one-woman man, and I never
considered changing girlfriends. But then things happened, and I
met you. I’m sorry, Rhy, for not waiting for you. You may not be my
first, but you will definitely be my last.”
“Is that supposed to comfort me? Because I
don’t feel any comfort,” I say in all honesty.
“I’m really sorry,” he tells me with a
defeated look.
“ That is the reason why I wouldn’t
engage in any physical relationship with you. I don’t want to
regret anything. I don’t want for us to have anything to regret
about. Now, you fully understand one of my rules?”
“Yes, and I hope that I met you a long time
ago.”
“Well, stuff happen. I’m still having a hard
time to accept that you don’t have your V card anymore, but I still
have mine, so I guess no worries.” No worries, Rhythm? Who are
you kidding?
“Am I forgiven?”
“Let me think.” I let him worry for a while,
even though I know that I forgive him already. “Yes, but do not let
another girl kiss you again. Okay?”
“Mmmkay.”
“Seriously, Grant. You are forgiven, but I
don’t know how to remove that image from my head.”
“I’m sor—”
“You’re sorry, I know. Now, shut up, and help
me have a selective amnesia.” Can I just open my head, operate on
it, and delete the image of Grant kissing another girl or the image
that I’ve been visualizing since he divulged his sexual
relationship with Riley before? I know it’s not healthy to think
about it because honestly, I’m going to be sick in my stomach and
dry heave myself to death. But how can I not think about it?
“C’mon!” He leads me to his pick up
truck.
“Where’re we going?”
“I’ll help you with the amnesia.”
Chapter 9
Grant
My heart broke when Rhythm asked me to help
her have a selective amnesia, to remove the image of Riley and me
kissing. I don’t know how to do that, though I know how to put
memories in her mind that will somehow diverge her mind off that
image.
“We’re parasailing?” The excitement in her
voice is infectious.
“Yes. Problem with that?”
“None! Let’s do this!”
And so we did. And did. And did. And did.
“Aren’t you tired?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “You?”
“A little bit.”
“Okay, let’s do one more, then we’re
done.”
“One more? I thought the last two were our
last two?” She’s unbelievable.
“This is our last one.”
“Last?”
“Promise!” she swears.
“Okay. Let’s go.”
After what seems like a lifetime of
parasailing, she’s finally satisfied.
“Wow! Thank you, Grant. That was
wickemazing!”
“What?”
“Wickedly amazing!”
I laugh. “It was?”
“Yes. Is that your real surprise for our 10th
month?”
“No. I was supposed to bring you to a diner
and this is supposed to be for our 1st year. But 10th month plus
peace offering is, I believe, worth this.”
“I’m not a fan of peace offering because it
means we are not at peace with each other, but I can do live with
it.”
“Thank you,
Hamilton?”
“You know him?”
“He’s my cousin.”
“Wow.” What on earth?
“Yeah. Wow.”
I take a moment to let everything sink in
before asking, “Any other revelation?”
“What do you want to know? I think I covered
everything up.”
“I don’t know how to ask . . .”
“Just ask, Rhy. I don’t have anything to hide
from you. I want to be honest with you. What is it?”
I stutter as I ask, “Did you and Riley uhm .
. . you know, did it?”
“Did what?”
“The same thing that she and Ben did. You
know, when you were still together.”
“Oh.” His blood is washed-out from his
face.
“So?”
He catches his breath, and I know his answer
even before he speaks. “Yes.”
I know I shouldn’t have asked, and I know I
should not feel hurt because it happened before me, but still.
I take a deep breath and count to ten.
“Why?”
“I’m a guy, Rhy. Besides, I thought Riley
would be my forever girl. I am a one-woman man, and I never
considered changing girlfriends. But then things happened, and I
met you. I’m sorry, Rhy, for not waiting for you. You may not be my
first, but you will definitely be my last.”
“Is that supposed to comfort me? Because I
don’t feel any comfort,” I say in all honesty.
“I’m really sorry,” he tells me with a
defeated look.
“ That is the reason why I wouldn’t
engage in any physical relationship with you. I don’t want to
regret anything. I don’t want for us to have anything to regret
about. Now, you fully understand one of my rules?”
“Yes, and I hope that I met you a long time
ago.”
“Well, stuff happen. I’m still having a hard
time to accept that you don’t have your V card anymore, but I still
have mine, so I guess no worries.” No worries, Rhythm? Who are
you kidding?
“Am I forgiven?”
“Let me think.” I let him worry for a while,
even though I know that I forgive him already. “Yes, but do not let
another girl kiss you again. Okay?”
“Mmmkay.”
“Seriously, Grant. You are forgiven, but I
don’t know how to remove that image from my head.”
“I’m sor—”
“You’re sorry, I know. Now, shut up, and help
me have a selective amnesia.” Can I just open my head, operate on
it, and delete the image of Grant kissing another girl or the image
that I’ve been visualizing since he divulged his sexual
relationship with Riley before? I know it’s not healthy to think
about it because honestly, I’m going to be sick in my stomach and
dry heave myself to death. But how can I not think about it?
“C’mon!” He leads me to his pick up
truck.
“Where’re we going?”
“I’ll help you with the amnesia.”
Chapter 9
Grant
My heart broke when Rhythm asked me to help
her have a selective amnesia, to remove the image of Riley and me
kissing. I don’t know how to do that, though I know how to put
memories in her mind that will somehow diverge her mind off that
image.
“We’re parasailing?” The excitement in her
voice is infectious.
“Yes. Problem with that?”
“None! Let’s do this!”
And so we did. And did. And did. And did.
“Aren’t you tired?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “You?”
“A little bit.”
“Okay, let’s do one more, then we’re
done.”
“One more? I thought the last two were our
last two?” She’s unbelievable.
“This is our last one.”
“Last?”
“Promise!” she swears.
“Okay. Let’s go.”
After what seems like a lifetime of
parasailing, she’s finally satisfied.
“Wow! Thank you, Grant. That was
wickemazing!”
“What?”
“Wickedly amazing!”
I laugh. “It was?”
“Yes. Is that your real surprise for our 10th
month?”
“No. I was supposed to bring you to a diner
and this is supposed to be for our 1st year. But 10th month plus
peace offering is, I believe, worth this.”
“I’m not a fan of peace offering because it
means we are not at peace with each other, but I can do live with
it.”
“Thank you,
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