Forrest Green

Chapter 29: Family, Cuddling, and Contentment

Chapter 29: Family, Cuddling, and Contentment

It's been a few days since Eryn and Hunter got back together, and all I can say yuck. Eryn and Hunter have flooded their social media with pictures of them together. Forrest and I have made it a game to keep track of who posts the most pictures. Hunter's winning.

Currently, Forrest and I are sitting in the dining room catching up on homework while my mother sits in the living room typing away on her computer. I have a random playlist playing in the background for something to listen to. I'm working on an English Lit assignment while Forrest works on an art project due week. He seems to be drawing a replica of the tattoo on his arm but in color. I find myself distracted by the black fur and green eyes on the wolf, every time I look at the drawing. Forrest gave thought to every little detail of the scene, down to the fur on the wolf and individual leaves on the forest surrounding it.

He catches me looking at the drawing for the tenth time in an hour and smiles at me, shaking his head. I say, "You should draw more. You're crazy talented."

He laughs, switches colored pencils, and rolls his eyes, "It just something I do when I'm bored or for art class."

"You should draw me something sometime," I say, rolling up the sleeves on his black hoodie I'm wearing. I don't think I'll ever wear another hoodie. His is perfect and still smells like him even though I've washed it. I nod my head at the drawing again and ask, "So what's the meaning behind this wolf? You have it tattooed on your arm too."

He hesitates, bringing the colored pencil to his lip. "I'll tell you some other time. I'm not ready to share."

When I meet his eyes, he glances back down at his drawing and begins shading different areas of the forest. I stare at him a little while longer, studying the way his posture has tensed and his hands more rigid as he sweeps the pencil across the paper. I sigh and return my attention back to the analysis I have to finish for English Lit.

Minutes pass before we are interrupted by my mom hobbling into the kitchen on crutches. I meet her determined gaze as she continues closer and politely asks, "Forrest, can you give us a minute alone?"

"Uh...yeah. I'll be upstairs." Forrest replies, gathering his art supplies and ducking out the room to leave us alone. My mom listens for his feet on the stairs before sitting down next to me and leaning her crutches on the table. She wiggles her eyebrows at me and says, "His voice is just..."

"Deep. Sexy. Wonderful. The best thing you've ever heard." I offer with a smile. Every chance she gets me alone, she always makes weird comments about Forrest. I got used to it pretty quick. "Please pick an adjective."

"Where'd you find him? Is his dad single?" My mom teases me. She's not serious though because all she's talked about since we left the hospital is Dr. Nash. It's quite disgusting.

"I have a few classes with him. Forrest's mom is probably one of the nicest people in the world, you wouldn't want to do that to her." I answer, shaking my head.

"What a shame..." She thinks aloud, gazing out of the sliding glass door and into the backyard before meeting my gaze again. "What are you trying to say? I'm not the nicest person in the world?"

"Yes." I say with an implied 'duh.' Don't get me wrong, my mom is a nice lady, but she's a different type of nice. The kind of nice that is great for being friends with.

"That was rude," Mom says amused, a smile playing on her lips.

"Nobody ever said I was nice, but onto more important things. Why'd you send him out of the room?" I ask, raising an eyebrow at her.