Miss Me Not

"So, what would you like to do now?" Dean asked, checking his phone for the time. "We still have a few hours before we need to head home."

"Truthfully?" I asked.

"Yeah, truthfully. The sky's the limit."

"Well, I'd really like to take a turn on the tire swing by your parents' house," I said self-consciously.

"I can do that," he said, leaning in to brush a quick kiss across my forehead.

My pulse did its normal racing when his lips hovered so close to mine. He grinned down at me confidently before reaching down to help me up. He was playing me like an instrument. Making me accustomed to his touch. Making me hyperaware of his every movement.

"Let's go say our goodbyes so we can head out."

"Will there be hugging involved?"

"Without a doubt," he answered.

"Bring it on," I said, resigning myself to the multiple hugs.

Much to my surprise, the farewell hugs didn't feel nearly as oppressive as the greetings had. In one short day, I had come to know almost everyone at the get-together. They had all taken a moment to chat with me at least once throughout the day. Some had chatted longer, making me feel included.

Just when I thought I had the hugging thing down pat, Pete ruined it by holding me too tightly and allowing his hand to cup my ass before he released me. Glaring at him, I jerked back and shoved him away.

It took every bit of strength I had in me to resist knocking the smug look off his sleazy freaking face. I looked around for Dean, suddenly very anxious to leave.

"It's all good, Madison. We're cousins, so we share everything," he taunted, emphasizing the word while he reached out a finger to stroke my wrist.

"Really? How about another hug then?" I said, inviting him closer.

He stepped toward me with his arms open as I thrusted my knee into his crotch, sending him to the ground in a heap.

Stepping closer to him, I went in for the kill. "You ever touch me like that again and you're fucking dead. Got me?" I said, flicking him on the ear, just to emphasize my point. I turned away from him in disgust.

"Bravo," Travis said, sliding up beside me. "I'm pretty sure you got your point across. Of course, I think I might need to add in my two cents."

"You all right, cous? You gotta be more careful watching where you walk," Travis said, reaching a hand down to help him up. Pete's eyes widened in pain as Travis obviously squeezed his hand. "We don't share everything. Got me, dipshit?" he said, before strutting away and leaving a shell-shocked Pete in his wake.

"What was all that about?" Dean asked, joining me.

"He fell," I lied.

"Pete? What a doof. Pete, do we need to get you some kneepads or something?" Dean teased, unwittingly adding more insult to Pete's injury.

"You ready?" he asked, turning back to me.

"Sure," I answered, looking back at the lit-up patchwork house one last time. Despite Pete's groping hand, I was sad to leave. Facing my silent existence in my own house seemed cruel after spending a day with them. Death would almost be more welcoming than being alone, even for a second. Someday, I would have a life like the one I had experienced today. A life where I wouldn't give death a second thought as I actually lived.

"Will your parents mind that we're out here?" I asked Dean when he pulled into the dirt drive in front of his parents' house a few minutes later.

"Not at all. As long as we don't run around screaming like a bunch of loons and keeping the twins up," he added, climbing from the jeep.

I followed behind him, trying not to trip in the dark. The beams from the porch light didn't quite reach the area where we were walking. Dean reached over and grabbed my hand to help guide me over the tree roots that had broken through the soil.

Reaching the tire swing, I cautiously climbed on, waiting for Dean to join me.

"Hang on," he said, pulling the tire swing all the way back until the ropes wouldn't stretch any farther. Finally releasing the tension, he allowed gravity to take over.

I laughed in exhilaration as the cool breeze tickled my neck and my hair blew around me in the night sky. I swayed back and forth with Dean shoving the tire each time I passed to aid my momentum.