"You are sweet to care so much that you want to make sure that I like my present," she told him. "Some don't even put the thought into one good present. What am I going to do for your birthday?" she sighed as if she were exhausted. Her head cocked to the side, "You're trying to kill me with curiosity," she made a pouty face. Her arms crossed and she sort of leaned away from him. After she had made her little point, she gave him the thank you hug. When she pulled away, she carefully studied his face, and decided that he didn't look like he had disliked the kiss.

It had been a small one, and she didn't think it was a big deal. His signature shy smile was spreading across his face. If he hadn't liked it wouldn't he have moved away? Had it surprised him? Her mind began to turn to what he was saying. He had lots of things going on, and he wanted to talk about it. She wondered if she should have tried to be more smooth introducing other topics, but she preferred to get directly to the point. It was eating at her mind, and she wanted the curiosity to be relieved as soon as possible.

She cocked her head wondering if she should try to read his mind. However, she decided to respect his privacy. What did he want to talk about? "I guess let's start with the good news. I want to be able to enjoy it without the bad news luring over it." She thought her reasoning made sense, and she found that she couldn't resist the temptation to read his mind. It might make all the difference between what was going to take place. She wanted to brace herself, since he had mentioned bad news.

She changed her mind again. What if he had a certain order he wanted to tell her. She read his mind, and saw what he was thinking and quickly changed her tune. "I think we should start with the bad news first. Perhaps the good news will overshadow the bad news," she said hopefully looking at him for encouragement. She had heard that you should start with good news first, because it spread and made everything else more positive, but she decided that this would work.

As she sat there waiting for him to talk, she felt herself get cold and nervous. Her hands were becoming cool and clamy. She began to wring her hands until she realized she was doing it. Looking nervous always made things more nerve wrecking, and she preferred not to be such an open book. She put her hands on the sides of her clothes rubbing them trying to stop being so obviously nervous. Her eyes slowly raised to his, and she waited for him to speak.

She hoped that nothing would be said that would cause them to push each other way. She prayed that he would accept her mind reading as easy as he did the first time. She prayed that the accident hadn't changed him. She hadn't told him, because she had hoped that the memory would come back without her having to tell him again. It didn't look like it would be, and it might not be a good idea to keep it a secret from him any longer. It could cause some separation issues.

(Sorry it's short. I couldn't think what else to say)

Eric smiled at her, taking the compliment quietly. "Thank you," he said. "I like the thought of being able to give things to people. I never really had anyone to give things to before, but now I do. I guess I just wanted to make something for you myself instead of just buying you something off a shelf from a store. I feel like it means more." She asked him what she was going to get for his birthday, almost more as if she was asking herself. "I'll like almost anything you give me." he said quietly, glancing at the floor. "I wouldn't worry too much about it." His birthday was coming up though. Within the next couple of months. He'd always kind of liked the timing of his birthday, because it was July 2nd, just two days away from the 4th. The 4th of July was always a fun event to him, because it was one of the holidays that his family actually had done things together and it be fun. Firework shows were fun to go to, and the food there was great.

It would be fun to take Kailey and her family to a big fireworks show this coming 4th, it was something to suggest at a later time. Her hug and little kiss on the cheek had given him a small rush of happiness and excitement, and it had made him briefly feel a little more confident that her answer to him would be yes. But the weight of everything else he wanted to tell her drug him back down into worry. How was she going to take it all? This was kind of a lot to dump on her all at once, especially with the added pressure of moving into a more serious relationship. One they would have to work harder at to keep it alive, one where communication was much more important.

He kind of hated how part of his mind was getting sidetracked, thinking of all the things he would be allowed to do with her with no shame if they got together. He could kiss her without feeling like he was overstepping, they wouldn't have to hide their feelings anymore, he could cuddle with her without feeling like "just another guy." But even through all of that, he was still thinking about everything else that wasn't so pleasant.

She told him that she wanted the good news first, and he nodded, ready to start in. But then she changed her mind, saying that she wanted the bad news first. He kind of sat for a minute, his eyes glimmering with a small bit of teasing orneriness despite all the worry that was building up. He was waiting to start, just in case she changed her mind again, the look on his face very obviously hinting at that. Not in a rude way at all, but more teasingly. When she stuck with her final choice, he nodded and took in a breath, letting it out a bit slowly.

"Okay," he said. "Well I suppose I can kind of start with the neutral thing, it's not really bad, but it isn't good either." He sat for a moment, trying to think of how he was going to ask this, or even how to lead into it. "I guess I just have a question. In the hospital, when I was trying to remember stuff, I kind of remembered something about you, but...I don't know for sure what it was. I asked you about it, and you confirmed that something was special about you, something that sets you apart from everyone else. But...you never told me what it was." He paused, lifting his eyes to meet hers. He could see she was nervous, and that she was trying to appear less antsy. "I wouldn't be really too worried about it except...for the fact that I know I knew before. Before everything happened to me. I know that you told me. I know that I knew that something about you. So...why not tell me now?" he asked. He didn't sound rude or confronting, in fact he sounded perfectly calm, if not slightly hurt. He was curious, and it did sting a little that she hadn't told him. Was she afraid of him reacting differently? Did she not trust him? Or was it just that she never wanted him to know or find out in the first place, so his memory loss would be a sort of start over thing for her? So she could pretend it never happened? Maybe it was a way for her to reassure herself that he was friends with her for who she was, instead of whatever thing she possessed. These were all thoughts that he continued to think were reasons for her not telling him. But he still needed to know from her.

He waited patiently for her answer, but more than anything else, he was very worried about what he had to tell her next, and how that news would affect her and their relationship, especially the kind of relationship he wanted with her. How would she take it?

She wouldn't worry about it too much for now, but it was a bridge she would want to cross. She hadn't considered that they might not be in the same state to celebrate together. She felt herself blush a little as she realized what he was thinking about. She wondered what the catch was. What bad news could he give, if he wanted them to be together? She was excited at the prospect. She was finally better. Not back to the way she was before prom, but she was functional again.

She thought she was ready for this. How could anything dim this day? She tried to straighten up and act like nothing was happening. When she was indecisive about what news she wanted, she waited. She understood why he was waiting, because she had taken a while to choose. She had already changed her mind once, and he was nervous. She was about to change her mind again, because of the interminable silence, when he finally spoke. She had been thinking too much about what she wanted to hear. She wanted to hear the good news now, but she had made a commitment, so she wouldn't interrupt him until he was done.

For some reason she hadn't expected his question and it sort of broadsided her. She sort of froze, when he began to talk. That wasn't the neutral news she expected. She supposed it was neutral, but it was definitely more on the negative side. It was a secret between them, and Eric had forgotten it. She didn't want to miss anything, so she leaned forward, showing him that she was listening very closely. "Ohhh. That," her tone sounded a little relieved and a little nervous. Her palms began sweating again, and she wondered if that was normal. It wouldn't be a big deal right?

She looked around making sure no one was close enough to eavesdrop. Her parents were still inside and there was no reason for anyone to be near them. When she remembered that it was Harper's fault about gossiping that school was miserable, she kept a close eye out for her. She didn't need another rumor passed around. If everyone started shouting trying to catch her, eventually, she wouldn't be able to hide it anymore and she would give it away. Now she needed to reassure Eric, otherwise everything could be messed up.

"I was planning on telling you. I was hoping you would remember on your own though. Everything has gotten busy, and there were more important things. I didn't want to throw it at you while you were still badly injured. It could have had negative consequences. However, before we were friends somehow you managed to catch me mind reading. I told you about it, and that's how we became friends," she chuckled nervously knowing it sounded a little weird. "No one else, but you knows," she wanted him to recieve the full implications of the secret he was keeping.

"Not even my parents," she told him. "Please do not tell anyone," she pleaded with him. She wouldn't even be able to tell her own children unless they had the same thing. She was surprised she had been able to hide it from her parents. What if one of them could mind read? What if her parents could and they had never told her, because they thought they couldn't trust her? Her face became more anxious and she stared at him willing him to accept her the way he did before.

Perhaps it would sink into his brain easily, and he would have no trouble accepting it. He was calm, which was helpful, but he wasn't showing her a ton of emotion to judge from. She hated not knowing, and she was trying not to read his mind, which was really hard, when it was something she often did impulsively without thinking. With a nervous laugh, she hoped to distract him by continuing. "What else did you want to talk about?" She was trying even harder to act like nothing weird was happening. Even though she had told him before she felt like she were spilling her guts all over again. It would have been simpler if he had remembered.

He acknowledged her smile, his cheeks flushing ever so slightly as he bit his lower lip and glanced down at the floor for a moment, trying not to think too much about his feelings for her. While that was important, and while it was something he would get to, there were more pressing matters to discuss first. But he still couldn't help but think,

How is she able to look so pretty all the time?

As he spoke, she leaned forward, listening to him intently. When he was finished, he tried to gauge her reaction. Was she mad at him for asking? Did she still want to keep things a secret from him? Had he slipped up? She didn't sound or look angry. More like relieved and nervous, and maybe a bit disappointed. Even though no one was near or around the tree house, he still noticed her looking around, as if there was. It must be something pretty serious and big if she was being so cautious.

She began talking, telling him that she was going to tell him eventually, but had hoped it would return to him on its own so she wouldn't have to. That alone was enough to relieve him of his worries, but she went on to say that she...had the ability to read minds, and that...he'd caught her doing so. That was how they became friends. She chuckled a bit, and he tilted his head ever so slightly, smiling but his brow creased in slight confusion. Is that really how they met? Why couldn't he remember that? It was so simple! He didn't understand how he could remember a small insignificant blurb of conversation, but he couldn't remember something as earth shattering as this!

She told him a little urgently that she'd never told anyone, not even her parents, and before he had a chance to even say anything, she begged him not to speak a word of it. He kind of sat in silence for a moment in a small state of shock, trying to take it all in once more. It would have been easier to accept, but it was harder to now. Because he knew that he knew this before. He knew that he'd accepted it before, and that this was the foundation of their friendship basically. It wasn't so much as accepting this about her, he was struggling more with the shock of that she had this ability, he'd known before, and for the life of him he had no memory of it. It was harder to accept the fact that he'd forgotten rather than the fact that she had this amazing ability.

"Whoa," he breathed softly after a moment. "That's...crazy." He had to blink a couple times and rub his face to try and clear his head so his body could start functioning again. "How could I have forgotten that?" He kind of chuckled, the news sinking in and becoming more familiar and normal. "I promise I won't say anything. Gosh, how could I have forgotten?" He kind of let his head sink into his hands, running his fingers through his dark wavy hair before sitting back up straight. It was so mind boggled by the fact that he had no memory of this! The news itself was cool and all, but for some reason he had no problem at all accepting that fact. He was still her friend, he loved her for her, and he trusted her with everything.

"How did I...take it before?" he asked slowly, giving her a cheeky grin. "Obviously pretty well since we're friends now." he answered himself, giggling like a child. "It's no problem. I have a lot of questions but...I know you've already answered them before so...maybe with time, now that I know again, those will be answered." He swallowed, breezing past this. That wasn't so hard, was it? It changed nothing. He still loved her, he cherished her, and he felt the same way about her as he did before. Her mind reading ability was just a little bonus fun fact that he knew about her now. Perhaps the only other person in the world that knew besides her. For some people, it may make them uncomfortable knowing their mind could be pried into at any moment. But for him...it really wasn't a concern. He wasn't sure why. Perhaps because he trusted and loved her.

It was just as easy, if not easier, to accept as before.

He reached across and gently grabbed one of her hands in his as she asked him what else he wanted to talk about. He didn't really look up at her or make any sort of eye contact, but he ran his thumb softly over the side of her hand as he tried to prepare himself for what he was about to tell her. He may as well just get straight to the point, right?

"Guess it's our secret again, huh?" he said quietly, smiling ever so slightly. He was kind of avoiding and beating around the bush. He really didn't know how to tell her that he may not get to see her anymore. "You know you can always talk to me about anything right?" he asked her, finally lifting his gaze to meet hers. He sort of paused, his heart skipping and flipping and racing around in his chest as his nerves built up. "Even if we're....hundreds of miles apart?" He said this kind of slowly, reluctantly, to let the words kind of sink in a little before he started a deeper explanation.

"I've been meaning to tell you for awhile now," he said, his tone and expression slipping into a more serious and sad one. "But I've put it off because of things being busy for both of us, and your birthday party...I just...didn't want to ruin it. But..." he trailed off, shrugging a little. Jack had ruined it in his own way, but it was kind of Eric's fault, right? Jack didn't like him because he spent so much time with Kai. If Eric hadn't come to the party, it wouldn't have happened.

His anxiety was pressing him, causing those thoughts, so he pushed them away, refocusing on the matter. "Summer and John have been talking, and...it may not work out for them to stay living here. The house itself holds a lot of horrible memories for myself and Summer, and it just seems really empty and hollow. Especially for me, without Gunner." He paused. "Summer took a month off from work in Oklahoma just to come here for me, but her spot is still held up there. Another week and she has to go back if she still wants the job. John doesn't have a job right now, he had to quit his. A lot of everything they own is still back at their place, they couldn't bring everything with them on such short notice. There's a few other factors that play into it but...there's a pretty high chance that they will be moving back. Which means...I'll be going with them."

He gave her a bit of time to let everything sink in, but tried to give her some positives as well. "It's not a for sure thing, though. Summer and John are both looking for jobs here, and if they can find a good one, they'll start looking for a better house." He reached out and took her other hand as well, scooting a bit closer to her. "I'm sorry I waited so long to tell you. There just...wasn't time."

She wondered what he thought she was hiding from him. Would he be mad? Would he understand? As she was peering around she felt really childish. She wasn't being particularly sneaky, and she was being super obvious. She knew that she sounded nervous, but it was hard to try to sound normal. Her stomach was knotting with worry. How would he accept it? What implications would it have on their friendship? She watched him for his reaction. He didn't seem afraid or repulsed, but he did appear confused. Was that good bad or neutral?

She found it amazing that he couldn't remember it. It was such a big deal. Did it mean that he didn't find it important or it was something he wanted to forget? He wasn't giving her extreme vibes, which seemed like a good thing. She wondered if he would think she was bad for not telling anyone. She gave a small smile when he chuckled, but she still didn't feel safe yet. She shrugged, "I'm not totally sure how well you took it. You did better than I ever expected anyone to do. There was no name calling or too much disbelief. You did try to run away from me though," she had to add.

She gave him a more genuine grin, when he giggled. "It's confusing even for me, so of course you can ask questions," she told him after the laughter had subsided. "You always have questions," she sort of teased him. She was glad that he seemed to be comfortable enough to laugh. She was relieved, when he took her hand. He wasn't scared of her or rejecting her. It pleased her that he made the first move. It symbolized that he wasn't bothered by the information he had heard, and it meant a lot to him.

Was it because he had accepted it the first time, and he felt that he needed to do it again now? Was she okay with that being the reason? How unbelievable was it? What else had he thought of? She smiled a little and nodded. She cocked her head as he said that she could tell him anything. While it made her nervous where it was going and it sent up red flags, she nodded her head in agreement. When he mentioned miles away, she raised a brow.

Why would that ever happen? What was he trying to say? She hated distance. It made her seem a lot less close to everyone. It made her feel isolated and alone. It magnified what a difference being together was. She would miss being able to read his thoughts and getting occassional ideas to what he was thinking. What would she do if she wasn't close enough to brush minds with him? They wouldn't be able to talk about that, because it wouldn't be private. How would she handle that?

She felt dread stirring in her gut. It had settled, when Eric had accepted her for who she was, but now it was getting worried again. "What?" she managed to choke out. It was the only word that would pass through her mouth. She gave a sad smile. It seemed they both had something slightly sad to hide. She felt that his was worse news though. At least she understood why he hadn't mentioned it before. It was reasonable enough for her not to be mad at him.

She could feel tears wanting to well up, but she held them back with her will. She listened intently, and it seemed there was no way to avoid their parting. She came up with a few crazy quick ideas, that she immediately dismissed. It would be unwise to do anything. "I understand. Your sister has already done a lot for you," she closed her eyes trying to compose herself. She had burnt her bridges with her friends. She couldn't go crawling back to them. She would apologize, but she didn't feel comfortable trying to resume their friendship the way it had been.

She had gotten a taste of a life without secrets with one person, and she wasn't sure if she could make a friend like that again. She didn't want people knowing about her, because she didn't want to become a government freak show. She wanted people to keep it a secret. While she might trust her friends to accept her, she didn't trust them to keep their mouth shut. It would be too many of them. Besides, she would tell her parents before she started purposefully telling her temporary friends. Her parents had always been there for her unlike the friends in her age group. She felt a few tears leak through.

To comfort herself she reminded herself that Eric had told her the bad news first. Whatever he said next would have to cheer her up. She didn't want to make him feel bad. It would make her feel guilty. Sometimes she accidentally tried to manipulate people, because she knew that nothing moved people like tears. It was the emotion no one knew how to handle so they tried to stop the tears as soon as possible. Some were good at comforting, but they still weren't sure how to handle that emotion.

There were things she wanted to say, but she didn't think it was the right time. She was too emotional to trust herself, so she went with minimal amount of words. When she thought she had mastered her feelings, she looked up at him with her lashes that were dripping with tears. "I'd like to hear some good news now," she told him. She wasn't sure if she had picked the correct order to hear the news. What would have been better? She was desperately trying not to freak out. He didn't deserve that.

She felt really selfish. This place had bad memories for him. He might enjoy getting a fresh start. He would be with his sister. Obviously, she cared for him or she wouldn't have dropped everything to come. They must have been wrong about her. She was reminded that they would never be a couple. They were losing their chance, and she didn't know if it would ever come back around again. She crawled closer to him. Once she was sitting by his side, she leaned her head against his shoulder.

They wouldn't have much more time together. Who knew when they would leave? Like he had made the first move during her news, she returned the favor when he revealed his information. "I love you Eric," she whispered through her tears. "Don't ever forget that. You can always talk to me no matter what happens." He might not want advice from her, since she wouldn't know the situation as well, but she would always be there to listen. Possibly whether he wanted her to or not. She looked up at him. Her eyes were becoming puffy, and she knew she looked pitiful. She looked up at his face trying to discern what was going through his mind.

Eric grinned as she told him she wasn't totally sure how well he had taken the news of her ability the first time around, and he let out another giggle as she said he'd tried to run away from her. Now that she had told him, and now that they were talking about it, the memory was very slowly and vaguely returning. He could remember all the emotions associated with that day, and he remembered sitting in class when he'd discovered it. He also remembered the park.

She told him he could ask questions, then proceeded to tell him teasingly that he always had questions. He wasn't going to argue, she was right. Especially now more than ever. It always made him feel a bit dumb, constantly having to ask people things, but he felt even more stupid if he didn't ask someone and ended up being completely clueless or reacted in a shocked way to something he had already known previous to the hospital.

He carefully and slowly told her about the possibility of moving, and her reaction made his heart sink, as he knew it would. He could see the disappointment on her face, and the ever so slight glitter of tears in her eyes. For a moment, it was as if she couldn't speak, only a single word leaving her mouth. She said she understood, but he felt like while that may be true...she didn't really want to understand. She didn't want this to happen, much like himself. She tried to compose herself it seemed, as she closed her eyes, seeming to think.

At first he'd missed it, because he was looking down, but when his eyes raised to look at her again, he caught the tears that slipped from her eyes. He felt horrible for making her feel this way, but it had to be done. He had to tell her. It would have been much worse if he hadn't said anything at all, and up and moved with no warning or goodbye. This was the right thing to do, even if it hurt for a little while, it would have been much more painful if done another way.

He said nothing, because sometimes people just needed time alone with their thoughts, needed time to let an emotion settle and then move away. He continued to hold her hands, but he didn't make any other move. He wasn't sure what she needed, and he didn't want to overstep. Sometimes it was best to leave people with themselves. After a moment, she looked up at him, her eyes wet with tears, and promptly said,

"I'd like to hear some good news now,"

"Okay," he whispered, giving her a small smile. "I'm sorry," She crawled over to his side and rested her head on his shoulder. He adjusted his position, wrapping an arm around her and scooting back a bit so he could lean up against the tree house wall for support. This way he could sink down a little and be more on her level. While one arm was occupied being wrapped around her, his other hand was holding hers softly, untwining and retwining his fingers with hers.

After another small moment of silence, he heard her whisper through her tears that she loved him, and that she never wanted him to forget that. She told him that he could always talk to her, no matter what happened. He felt his throat give that familiar tightening feeling he always got before crying, but that was it. He didn't let any tears fall. He didn't want to slip into a depressed state or start crying and not be able to stop.

Her words were so simple yet so powerful. Especially the first three.

I love you....

Those words held a LOT of meaning, especially to someone who had spent a lot of their life without ever really hearing or knowing it. "I love you, too." he whispered back to her. "I won't forget that."

Not again. His mind whispered. He wouldn't forget it again. He would do everything in his power to keep the memory of her love alive in his mind and in his heart. He gently kissed the side of her face, sitting with her for another moment longer before finally gathering up the nerve to speak what he wanted to speak.

"That's...actually kinda what I wanted to talk to you about." he said quietly, slowly sitting more upright again. "It's...been a while since we've really discussed or talked about it, so I feel a bit...strange? I guess? Bringing it up, but..." he trailed off, taking in a breath and preparing himself. He didn't want to get too nervous and completely screw everything up. "I feel like now more than ever really I need to. I feel like maybe I'm running out of time, and I don't want to let my chance slip away." He moved his arm so that he could grab both of her hands again. The closer he got to asking, the more and more nervous he was getting. What if she said no? Because of a long distance relationship? What if she couldn't handle being with someone who wasn't going to be nearby?

"I was going to ask quite awhile ago, but stuff happened and I felt like I couldn't. Then...I was going to ask again and stuff happened to me. But...you've been really patient, and I've waited way too long." He gave her a kind of side smile, a happy but yet apologetic one because he made her wait so long.

"Kailey...even with everything you know, and...with everything that might happen in the next couple weeks...would you want to be my girlfriend?" he asked a bit slowly, nervously. The question ended, and he almost felt like flinching, afraid of her answer even though he shouldn't be. "Like...officially my girlfriend, not just...word of mouth." He didn't really realize it, but he was kind of suspending his breath, waiting for her answer.

Would she say yes?

Would she reject him because of everything?

He didn't know.

His heart was hammering heavily inside his chest, and time was seeming to slow way down, each beat of his heart a second passing by on the clock. He shouldn't be so scared, but he was. He knew his hands were trembling slightly, he could feel it. Although he was scared, he wasn't sure why he was. He knew deep down he would be hurt if she said no, but he also knew that in no way would it destroy the friendship he had with her. If she didn't want to be more than friends....so be it. He would always be there for her anyway, regardless if they were a couple or not. He wouldn't abandon such a tight and close friendship, even if he was hurt.

It was only fear that had made her talk to him the first time. She didn't quite know how much Eric remembered, so she didn't realize how much he needed to ask questions. She tried to be understanding, but sometimes it was disappointing or really surprising when he couldn't remember something. Some were little inconsequential things, and occassionally it was something important. How much could memories change a person? How was it so easy to forget such important things?

Kai didn't want him to move, and she knew that she couldn't be selfish, because she wanted to be a good friend. She had to put him first. It wasn't all about her. It hadn't even occured to her that he had considered not telling her. It would have been unthinkable for her best friend to up and move without a warning or notice. At least she only felt sadness that he was going instead of anger that he hadn't told her. It could have poisoned their last days together. It was the kind of thing one assumed that your friend would tell you.

She wasn't sure why he was giving her so much space. She supposed since she had dropped a few tears, he wasn't sure how to handle it. She decided that she was steady enough where they could keep talking. Hopefully, somethign good would happen. "It's okay. It's not your fault," she reassured him not sure if it was the right thing to say. If she was going to start blaming someone, she would blame Mr. Godfrey. If he were a good father, Eric wouldn't have to move away. However, it seemed too distant of a reason, so she accepted the fact, and didn't try to lay the blame on anyone.

She hadn't realized exactly what her words meant to him. As someone who had a loving family, she often took it for granted. From her I love you met something. She really thought about it considering if she genuinely loved them before she said it out loud. When someone said never forget it, they were normally thinking of times when they were far a part from their loved ones or they were having a conflict with their loved ones. They weren't considering actually someone forgetting. While the treehouse was beginning to become a little uncomfortable, she was content for the moment to be here.

She didn't want her family members to see her in her messy state. She liked being near him leaning against his side, however, it made it hard to look at him when he was speaking. On the other hand, when she was crying she often didn't like looking into someone's eyes. During serious conversations it felt challenging and intimidating. It was harder to gather one's thoughts together. She supposed not being able to look at him and judge his reactions was worth being close to him.

He kissed the side of her face, and it felt natural. She didn't think twice about that action. He sounded a little nervous, and she cocked her head slightly as she was listening to him. What else did he have to say that would have him nervous? Her eyes widened a little, when he asked the question. She hadn't been expecting it at all. It had been a while since it had been brought up. She had sort of given up on it, since so many obstacles had popped up. Her first instinct to say yes. That's what she wanted. However, she had many things to consider. The first thing that popped in her mind was she wasn't sure what to think about a long distance relationship.

It made sense why it was such bad news to him. Even though she would have gotten a higher happy high if he had told her the good news first, she needed this information to really make this decision. Would they be able to see each other at all? She would have to see him multiple times a year at least. She didn't want before he left to be the only time she ever saw him. That would be a weird relationship. Besides in a short while they would be separated when he went to college. Was it all worth it?

She was beginning to burn with anxiety. She was taking too long to think this all out. He was going to think she was going to say no, but she hadn't decided yet. Was she taking too long? They had been through a lot together already, and they had always been waiting for each other. What was a little distance? She had some hidden problems, but then so did he. They were still together even after he lost his memory. Her mind reading hadn't changed his mind about asking her this question. Who else would she find like this? Who else was worth it? She would only find someone like this once. She shouldn't pass this up.

She looked up shyly with a slight smile. She knew that her thought process had probably taken an awkwardly long amount of time, but she had wanted to think about it. It felt a little less awkward to think about it beforehand instead of asking for time. She hoped her parents approved. She giggled a little nervously, "Sure did take you long enough." She wouldn't have said yes if he waited and asked after he was gone. It was good that he had asked her now even if it did technically ruin her birthday. What would her friends think she wondered. She wasn't sure if she should hug him or what.

She found herself awkwardly nodding, "Yes. I'll be your girlfriend." She felt nervous saying it outloud. What were you supposed to do after something like this happened? She was a little amused that she had hesitated. They would have been friends whether he moved or not. They already acted a little more than friends. Her heart had already made up the decision. She was glad that their parting words didn't have to be sad. She didn't have to hurt his feelings with any type of rejection.

Eric sat there patiently waiting for Kailey to get her emotions and feelings in check, his back against the treehouse wall, her head laying gently on his shoulder. His back was beginning to hurt, the hard wood growing very uncomfortable, but he didn't want to move. He realized that he was willing to through incredible amounts of discomfort if it meant that he could spend more time with her.

As he spoke to her, he tried to watch for any facial or body movements that may suggest that she didn't want to go through with any of what he was about to ask, but she gave him none so he continued. After he asked the question however, her eyes widened. He wasn't sure what that meant. What would she say? Turns out....she wouldn't say anything. Not for a moment, at least. While he understood that she needed time to think, and that it was a lot that had just been dumped onto her shoulders, it still made him nervous.

She had every right to say no, and that was probably the smartest thing to do, especially with all the news that she'd just gotten beforehand. But at the same time....he really wanted to be more with her. He really, really did. But it seemed so distant and far away, and now that he'd finally asked her, he felt very vunerable. He'd just laid everything he had out on the table in front of her, and she had the option to take it or leave it.

After a long and tense moment of thought, she lifted her gaze and met his with a shy smile. A smile he knew well, for it was one that was often on his own face. He thought here he would get an answer to his question...but no. No, she was playing with him longer, leaving him in suspense, making a light teasing remark, saying that he had indeed taken long enough to ask. Normally he would laugh, but he was so tense and nervous waiting for her answer that even though he found it amusing...all he could muster ot were some breaths that vaguely resembled a chuckle.

He nervously bit his lower lip, the tension still rising, his heart speeding up. What would she say, what would she say?!

Then finally...finally...the words he had been waiting to hear came softly from her lips.

She said yes. he thought, all the tension in his chest and muscles releasing with relief. But that relief very quickly turned into shock, sending a million waves to his brain that seemed to hit a pause button on his reaction. He sat there quietly for a moment or two, unable to speak. Finally, he let out a breath that could be taken as laugh and he glanced down at the floor, his cheeks heating up ever so slightly.

He knew he was grinning, probably looking like an idiot...but he didn't care. "You actually said yes." he whispered, giggling softly. It was such a relief, he almost felt like crying. He knew that he hadn't moved much, but he almost couldn't help it! His brain was in shock. "I don't know what answer I was expecting." he told her, giving her a shy smile as his bright eyes lifted to meet hers.

I'm in shock...He thought directly to her. It felt strange doing that, but he couldn't find the words, and he didn't want her to feel unwanted or bad that he hadn't given her a hug or anything after hearing exactly what he wanted to hear.

Finally, he was able to gain control over his muscles, and he scooted closer to her again, pulling her into a hug. "You left me in shock," he whispered to her, giggling quietly. He felt so...strange. Not in a bad way, really though. It just felt different. He knew they had been kind of acting like a couple for awhile now, but something about knowing that it was official was different. He knew now that she was his and he was hers, and they had a stronger bond now. Maybe not in the same way as marriage, but he hoped that was a goal they could work towards if everything went well.

He'd always gotten that giddy fluttering sensation before when around Kailey, because his crush had been a rather strong one, and he'd always admired her for things. But now more than ever those feelings were intensified. He felt warmer, happier, and...safer in a strange way. But even with all these happy emotions, there came a wave of new responsibilities and worries.

He suddenly felt the overwhelming need and want to protect her. Even though he knew that was part of her parents job, he felt the need and want to as well, it was now part of his job too. He had to make sure and keep the lines of communication open, because he didn't want to lose her over a misunderstanding or because of something he was hiding from her. He was worried about college and leaving for that. She'd be stuck behind for another year. Sure, he had one more year of high school and nearly 2 months of next summer before he would have to leave, but it still scared him. Would she want to do long distance?

What if she found someone else while he was away? Those worries on top of worrying if he would mess up. He didn't want to do or say anything that would mess this all up, and he felt like he was very prone to do so.

He wanted to kiss her pretty badly, but he wasn't sure if he should just yet. He didn't want to rush things, and he figured he would let her decide when she was ready for that again. He'd kissed her before they were official, and at the time he was decently confident in it. But now he was more careful and cautious. He didn't want to overstep anything she might have set, and he wanted her to be able to set that boundary. He would kiss her on the cheek or things like that, but he told himself he wouldn't lock lips with her until she was ready, and until she made that move first.

"Oh yeah," he said, pulling a bit out of the hug. "I...didn't talk to your parents at all about this since the hospital. They told me yes once, before prom but...I didn't re ask. I hope that answer still stands." He was genuinely a bit worried about it, but he was pretty sure they wouldn't flip the switch on him suddenly. Especially now that his life was getting better. At least at home. He had better guardians now, and no more abuse was happening.

Granted, he could move, but it wasn't a for sure thing yet. Surely they wouldn't reject this, especially if Kailey had shown any signs of excitement about the possibility, or had spoken at all to her mother about her feelings towards him.

She hated being emotional, but it was something she couldn't help. It made things awkward and no one knew how to deal with it. She didn't mind other people crying, and sometimes she welcomed it. She knew that crying was something that occured when someone was experiencing too many emotions, and they needed to vent. If they did it willingly in front of her, she felt that she was being trusted with something. It was the kind of thing that she was okay with being entrusted with.

She knew that he was watching her closely, while she considered what to do. She could pry into his mind, but he had only her physical queues to determine what she was thinking. Her face probably looked a bit panicked as she tried to think in a timely fashion. She hated to make him nervous, but she needed some time to think about it. She felt a little devious making him wait a few extra minutes before she gave him her answer. She would dislike him if he did it to her, so she cut to the chase fairly quickly.

All of her emotions began rushing up into her face, and she was blushing. She had made a commitment. Even though it was technically not too big of a deal, it was the most she had done. They both started grinning and laughing a little nervously. She felt like an idiot, but he was happy, so she was happy also. She grinned at him, "Yeah.....I wasn't sure what I was expecting either. However, we've already sort of been together, and our love has already gone through so much. How could I say no?" She was finally pulled into a hug, and she held him firmly.

She giggled a little, "I knew you were unsure what I would say, but I wasn't expecting to put you in shock." It was surprising how surreal it felt. So many obstacles had been tossed in their way, she hadn't expected it to happen. What would it be like getting married? Would she go around in a stunned honeymoon phase? She wondered if she should kiss him. Wasn't that what couples did? Was it rushing things? They had waited for quite a while, and they didn't have much time to be physically together. She shook her head trying to get a grip, "Why is it so hard to believe we're together," she had to smirk.

At the same time, she shouldn't do things just because they didn't have much time. That sounded like it would lead to foolish mistakes. She felt a warmth knowing that she had his love secure. She wouldn't have to worry about petty little jealousies, because they were more than an understanding. She wasn't sure how much Summer loved Eric, so she would have to make sure that he always knew someone loved him. She wasn't totally sure how to do that, but she would do her best.

He had better facetime and message her a lot. She didn't want to lose touch and become strangers. It was one of the easiest way for long distance relationships to die, but they could be different. Should they talk about all the problems that their relationship might face in the future? Should they enjoy their temporary happiness and save the unpleasant stuff for a different day? Should they wait till they crossed that bridge? How would she know how to face all of these challenges? She realized that it couldn't be any worse than what they had already gone through. She decided not to spoil the moment. They had plenty of time to do that later.

She was scared that they would mess things up, and it would hurt. However, she knew they would always care for each other. It was worth the risk. She pulled away from the embrace slightly, when he mentioned that he had talked to her parents before. Her face became a little guilty, because she hadn't considered what her parents would think at all. She looked at him incredulously and then playfully nudged him, "You had asked them? How long have you been keeping this to yourself? When did that happen? Why haven't you told me before? How was I so oblivious?" She was certain he would have had to come over to talk about it.

She doubted her parents would have been sneaking around her back to go meet him somewhere in public. That was a bit much, and just weird. Had he come over to her house, when he knew that she was gone? "I hadn't even thought about their approval yet, I was so caught up," she frowned a little. She was glad that she was pretty sure Eric had their approval. It would have been awkward if she had to change her yes to a no because of them. However, he might be more understanding and a little less hurt if her parents said no rather than her.

"I can't believe this conversation hasn't been had before," she crossed her arms in a teasingly cross way. "I'm glad that they've said yes before. There is less chance of them removing their approval," she sighed with a little smile. She was nervous and they would have to go talk to them in a moment, but she was glad to have a few moments to themselves. Would her sister think that she was making a mistake? Her sister often had a very strong ideas on these kinds of things.

She opened her mind to him a little more, and she realized that he wanted to kiss her. It felt like it would be a natural reaction from the moment. She decided it would be okay then. Just a small one. Since she was in a hug with him, she had to raise herself slightly she she could reach his lips. She gave him a soft gentle kiss before pulling away. "Just in case," she said softly. Just in case this was their only chance, her parents said no, he moved away, one of them got serious amnesia. She wanted to have one little moment together.

As he hugged her, her words rang truth. They had been pretty much acting like a couple already, and even if she hadn't had any sort of attraction to him before that, it had obviously grown.

"I didn't think I'd go into shock either." he whispered back, giggling softly. "I was half expecting this answer, but I know I was imagining the worst as well." It was so hard to believe that they were finally together, finally official after so many obstacles. He really tried hard not to think about it too much, or think about the future too much right now, because he didn't want to ruin this moment together. He didn't want to get too excited and make her scared of what his intentions were.

"I don't know," said softly in reply to her statement. It was very true. It was hard to believe that they were together. He mentioned her parents, and she pulled slightly away from his embrace. He didn't let it worry him though, and the expression on his face was quite amusing, reading as ornery and a bit ashamed. The surprised expression on her face made him grin even wider, and he glanced down briefly at the wooden floor before looking back up at her, listening to her questions. She playfully nudged him, and he took it with no retaliation.

He simply nodded, grinning at her. "I did, I did ask them." he answered, giggling like a younger child. "I asked them...a week before prom? A few days before? I don't really remember." He felt that familiar stab of guilt, for not remembering something that he should have been able to remember. He silently sent another curse to his father for ruining that ability.

"I didn't tell you, because I didn't want you to know I was planning on asking you." he answered her, smiling softly. "At first I was going to make it a surprise, after prom. But...all of that stuff happened and it just wasn't right. So I left it be. I wasn't sure how long I would have to wait for you." He swallowed, kind of creasing his brow in thought. "After that, it kind of took me awhile to figure out again if you liked me or not without directly asking." He kind of giggled, realizing how much work he'd put himself through. He could have avoided all of that if he would have just gotten up the nerve to ask her about her feelings towards him from the start.

"Then I was planning on asking you today, actually. I was planning a whole big thing, I was going to take you somewhere but...Dad had to go and..." He trailed off, shrugging. He didn't want to get mad at something that was in the past. Something that he couldn't fix. "By the time most of my memories came back it was too late to put any of those plans in motion so...I asked you like a normal person I suppose." He laughed, shrugging.

She crossed her arms at him playfully, and he just smiled at her in return, his bright blue eyes glittering with admiration for her. He was so happy that she was his now. He was happy he could call her his girlfriend, and that she could call him her boyfriend. He was still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that this wasn't a dream, that it was real. "If they say no, it's going to hurt really bad. Not going to lie to you." he told her. "But it'll be better knowing that you weren't the one to directly tell me no."

"Not that...I would've stopped being friends with you or anything if you had," he added quickly, chuckling. His teasing smile faded into a more genuine, relaxed, loving one as he said softly, "You know I'd never do that to you." There was a brief moment of silence, and while it normally would be awkward...it wasn't. She looked up into his face, and he instantly knew what was going to happen before it did, what she was going to do. It was what he wanted, but his heart sped rapidly up with just the thought. Partially out of excitement and love, and partially because of complete nervousness.

Her lips met his softly, gently, but not for long. It had been brief, but it was what he had wanted, and now that it had happened....he realized it was what he had needed. The small action had sort of made the fact that they were an official couple real. Even though they had kissed a few times before, they hadn't done so since he'd been hospitalized, and since his memory had briefly vanished, it felt like a complete and fresh new start. It felt like he was kissing her for the first time again in that closet.

"Just in case." she said softly. He knew what she meant, but it could be taken so many other ways as well. He smiled shyly at her, pulling her closer to himself. He felt again the uncomfortable flare of pain from sitting so long on the hard wood, but once again he didn't care. He shoved it far aside. He wanted this moment with her, he felt like he needed it.

He slipped his hands under her arms and around her waist, so he could pull her even closer, pretty much pulling her and holding her in his lap. "Just in case," he repeated her words in a whisper, grinning. He didn't want to let her go. They finally had each other in a way they'd been waiting for.

He closed his eyes, leaning his forehead against hers. It was in this moment, when everything finally clicked for real. She was his girlfriend now, and she'd made the first move. He didn't have to worry now about when to kiss her. It was their right now.

He still wasn't sure what she was ready for, or how long it would take for her to feel comfortable doing it regularly, but her single quick kiss had sparked the desire for another, and he couldn't just let her to be the one to make the moves all the time. If so it would feel one sided, and that was not his goal. His heart thrummed in his chest as he reached one hand up to the side of her face, and softly locked lips with her again.

He however, didn't let things go so quickly. This may be the only time they would get alone together for awhile, especially after telling her parents the news. They would more than likely have to be chaperoned, and while he didn't have too much of a problem with that, it did take away a lot of the things he wanted to have in a relationship. He never wanted to go too far, not intentionally, but having someone there with them all the time would make him feel uncomfortable to do anything, really. Hug, kiss at all in any way, hold hands. So he was not going to take this moment, this time for granted.

How he kissed her now, was very similar to how he'd kissed her after prom, but this time...he had control. He didn't slip over the edge, he didn't falter. He was right where he needed to be, showing his love but not crossing any lines. He wondered now a lot what it would be like to be married to Kailey, similar to when he'd woken up beside her after staying the night secretly. He'd wondered it then, and he was wondering now.

Because part of him truly did want to go further. He wanted to go all the way, everyone at some point in time did with their partner. But he knew it couldn't be now, and he would wait patiently until he could. At least...he hoped. He hoped nothing happened to prevent that from ever happening in the future. He wanted to be in this relationship with her with a common goal in mind. There were a lot of things they needed to talk about, but for now...why not just enjoy the moment?