The One You Can't Forget (The One, #1)

fifty

Emyln

I'm exhausted by the time we're done packing up his bedroom and have shared a whole Hawaiian pizza. And so is Hains – we're both lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling.

"At least the flight doesn't leave until 11:30 a.m., right?" he asks, trying to sound optimistic. "Could you imagine if we had to get up at a God-awful time like 4:00 a.m.? That would be horrific."

I nod in agreement even though my thoughts are elsewhere. I never wanted to come back to Whistler, but now that I'm here, I don't want to leave everyone behind. I mean, technically I'm not leaving everyone behind, but there are some people. My mom, Joel, Miles, Val, and I don't know why the fuck he's even on my list, but also Landon. What can I say? My stepfamily has grown on me a little.

"Ems?" Hains asks, propping himself up on his elbow. "You okay?"

I stay silent, averting my eyes to the window that has a perfect view of my bedroom window. All those times he snuck into my bedroom after bedtime play in my mind.

Sounding more concerned than before, he asks, "Is your side okay?" I feel his hand rest on my ribcage. Warmth radiates through my shirt and to my skin from his palm. "It's not hurting, is it?"

I look at him. "Hains, it's been two weeks. There's no possible way the internal bleeding could start up again."

He shrugs. "Can you blame me? It's not like you to not talk. What's bugging you?"

I sigh and lace my fingers through his. "Do you really want to leave tomorrow?"

"We already talked about this, baby. Yeah, it's sudden, but I think it's for the best. We need to get settled and find jobs. All that kind of shit. Oh, and we might as well act like tourists for a few days. I've always wanted to explore that area."

I smile to myself. He's cute when he's excited like this. I know he's trying to hide the level of excitement he's experiencing at the moment, but he's failing. He's acting like a kid on Christmas morning.

"Ems," he says, his excitement dying down. "Are you okay? You're starting to worry me."

I shrug. How do I tell him I'm already a little homesick? Sure, I'm thrilled to be going to Ontario with him, but that's not going to stop me from missing the serenity of Whistler and the comfort of my family. I look at him, his stormy grey eyes full of concern. "I'm homesick already," I whisper. "I'm going to miss this." I gesture to the space around us. "How do I leave when I've gotten used to this again?" I shake my head. "Fuck, I feel like such a loser for saying that. Your mom is going through rehab and I'm complaining about leaving people behind. I'm pathetic."

Hains looks at me for a good ten seconds and then takes my hand. "Ems," he says, kissing the back of my hand. "You're going to be fine. And it's not a crime to miss your family."

I sigh. "Yeah, but what happens if I start crying because I miss them so much?"

He chuckles and rolls over so his body is on top of mine. "Then you come find me and cry into my shoulder until the tears are gone. And when that's over, you Skype or FaceTime your mom, Val, Rosa, or your dad. Anyone." He pauses and looks at me, a devilish grin on his face. "Or..."