Before I Forget

Better Memories

"Ah, I'm beat!" Sky groaned when they stepped into her house and she kicked off her sneakers. "That was a long day."

Hawk gave her a concerned glance, as he untied his own shoes and stepped out of them. "You sure you're okay? The doctors told you to take it easy–"

"I'm fine. Just tired. And I did take it easy, you know. It's not that hard to hold a sign or take people's money."

"You know what I mean." Hawk frowned. "You're still recovering. You shouldn't exhaust yourself–"

"It was for Miguel," Sky said, turning to look at him. She was still wearing the denim shorts and the bikini top, her hair was a tangled mess that fell to her neck and shoulders from under the baseball cap. "I feel horrible that his family is in debt. It's so fucking unfair! I'm gonna do everything I can to help him, and you can either help me or get out of my way."

"I wanna help him too, you know," Hawk replied. "How much money did you raise, anyway?"

Sky's smile widened. It lit up her tired face. "About a thousand bucks."

"That's great."

"It is," she beamed. "I'm so glad that I don't even care that I'm fucking exhausted."

Hawk didn't argue. Her smile was everything, and he was drowning in it. Fuck it, if all the plans he'd had for the night had to be canceled - he was happy just to be here with her. He had wanted to take her to have tacos in a nice, Mexican restaurant nearby, and then after that maybe for a walk on a beach - or just to sit on the beach and watch the sunset, if she was too sore and tired to walk - and after that, he had wanted to give her the gift he had purchased, the one that was in a small box in the pocket of his sweats right now–

But when he'd picked her up at the car wash event, she had just asked him to bring her home, claiming that she was too tired to go anywhere.

So no tacos, no beach, and the gift–

Well, that would have to wait for the right moment, which clearly wasn't now. She probably wanted to take a shower and order a pizza and just chill watching some nerdy movie - and it was okay. He'd do whatever she wanted to do - they'd have time for romantic dates later.

"Come on," Hawk said sternly. "Let me help you to your room."

He scooped Sky into his arms in bridal style, pressing her tight against his chest. She smelled like sunscreen and soap and strawberry lip gloss, she fitted perfectly in his arms and her weight was light to carry. Letting out a satisfied sigh, she rested her head against his shoulder, as he carried her up the stairs.

At the doorway to her room, he stopped and laid her down on her feet. The door to her room was open, the white wooden door with a round, brass door knob–

He drew in a sharp breath.

It hit him brutally, completely without a warning like a punch in the gut - the realization that he hadn't been here since—

– since—

Suddenly he felt like he would throw up. The happiness he'd felt only moments ago was replaced by cold, suffocating anxiety. He froze on his feet, but Sky didn't seem to notice - she walked into her room, slowly, her right leg still slightly dragging behind - and Hawk was left standing in the doorway.

There had been a post-it note on the door. A yellow note, the gruesome words inked on it with a pink gel pen. And that door knob–

Hawk let out a gasp, and pulled his hand back as if the brass knob had burnt him. The door was a new one, as was the doorknob. Nicholas had burst through the old door with an ax, the wood had given in too slowly, but then they had rushed through this doorway, and–