Page 51 of Don’t Forget Me

“We must go to Mexico one day.”

“Together?” I asked.

“Yes!”

“You don’t even speak the language,” I argued.

“I have a feeling that I have a great teacher sitting beside me.”

I lowered my gaze to my cherry-red nails. They glossed under the brilliance of the yellow light bulbs hanging from the ceiling. The trumpets in the song echoed into the deepest parts of my soul. “I don’t have the means to leave Scotland.”

“Think of me as your personal bank account.” Ezra pushed his glasses with his index finger as he leaned back against the cushion of the booth we’d been sitting at.

“You’re shameless,” I giggled.

“The rich should use their wealth for important matters, shouldn’t they?” His gaze softened.

I was glad that he finally understood that I had a special disdain for the arrogant rich people of this world. Men and women alike. Those in power who used their authority for all the wrong reasons. Corruption reached even those who had once been innocent.

I had always lived in poverty, and now I was in Scotland, searching for a change in my life. Glory and status were not a luxury I was fighting for. I struggled against the systems of this society to live a happy and comfortable life, which was a major difference between my classmates and me.

Ezra interrupted my thoughts. “You are important to me.”

My eyes met his. There was this gentle longing in his stare. A brow of mine quirked upward. Could he possibly be flirting with me?

No. I couldn’t be that delusional.

I was already delusional by moving to Scotland. A boy falling in love with me was not a dream that would become a reality. No, no, no. I erased the thought from my mind.

Nonetheless, I couldn’t help but wish that a guy like Ezra would learn to love me and the darkness that haunted me.

“So, are you going to try the queso fresco?”

twenty four

LYSANDRA

The executives of my publishing house loved the first few chapters I presented to them. It made my day pleasant; it was such a good day that I was looking forward to seeing Aldair. We hadn’t spoken much since our intense discussion at White Waves last week.

But… my interactions with Ezra at the park and at his house only made me understand that I had to let go of the rollercoaster ride he was for me. Stability was better for me. I’m not great with emotional chaos. Aldair was the better option.

There was this nagging voice in my conscience that warned me that I could lose one of my best friends if I neglected him for any longer. And by nagging voice, I meant Ezra’s.

After that debacle on Saturday, I realized that I had to start over with Aldair. Yes, I had to admit that my relationship with him had been quite loveless recently, but I wished to attempt to love him truly, the same way he loved me.

I knew I had to speak to Ezra sooner or later, especially if we were going to be making this movie happen, but the embarrassment from the other night only multiplied after having a sober mind. I had been doing everything in my power to make sure I didn’t bump into him during script readings.

“I’m so excited for you!” Cami squealed.

“It’s not that big of a deal,” I said.

“How is it not?” she began. “You start filming next week!”

“You’re right. I can’t believe it myself either,” I chuckled.

Camille embraced me, tightly holding onto me before she rubbed my back. “I’m so proud of how far you’ve come and how far you’ll go.”

I smiled, wrapping my arms around her and taking in her hibiscus scent. Truly, God sent her to me. She’s been the one person who had stuck with me through almost every important stage of my life. She was there for my high school graduation, my college graduation, my first book deal, and now she’d be here through the filming process for my best-selling novel.