Never Forget (Memories)

realised that he really did only have eyes for me. That was nearly two years ago.'' She puts the top in her basket. ''He looks at other girls – I'm not stupid – but I know that's all he is doing. It's still me he's coming to at the end of the day, and while I know he used to be a bit of a get around, he's completely faithful to me.''
    I nod slightly.
    ''Just like Alec would be to you, if you'd let him,'' she adds.
    ''I don't know..''
    ''I do,'' she says firmly. ''I see the way he looks at you, Lexy, and I know I'm a bit crazy with my words sometimes, but he actually would do anything for a chance to prove to you he's worth a shot.''
    ''I already said I'd give him a chance-''
    ''But are you?'' She turns and pins me with her blue eyes. ''Are you letting him show you, or are you still trying to control it? Letting yourself see what you want to see? You can't control everything, and matters of the heart are one of those things. The heart wants what the heart wants and you gotta let it have it. Everyone will get hurt at some point, but don't think about that. Think about now. Think about the crazy way he makes you feel right now, cause I know he does make you crazy. Stop focusing on the future. The here and now is what matters, not something that might or might not happen in a week, a month, a year from now. Let him in, Lexy, just once, and you'll see what I do.''
    She faces away from me, seemingly done with her rant.
    Who knew Jen was so deep? Uh, not me.
    But, as always, she's right.
    Why does everyone seem to understand my heart better than me?

    ~

    I flick a bit of mud off my knee. "I don't know how you can stand this."
    "What? The mud?" Alec looks at me incredulously.
    "Uh, no. The flowers." I roll my eyes.
    "I'm a country boy, Princess. I'm not afraid to get my hands a little dirty. Devon is all about the farming - you should know that by now."
    I make a non-committal noise in the back of my throat and wrinkle my nose at the dirt again.
    "You should try it, you might like it."
    "What, gardening? No thanks. I'll hold the bag for Grammy, but that's it."
    "So let me get this straight." Alec puts the trowel down and looks at me. "You'll try surfing - far more deadly than gardening - yet you won't dig up a little mud?"
    I screw up my face. "Surfing is... Water. It's wet. Gardening is dirty."
    "Well, shit, you don't say? No wonder you're off to university." Alec rolls his eyes.
    I punch his arm.
    "You punch like a girl."
    "I am a girl!" I punch him again.
    He turns to me, a twinkle in his eye. "Oh, I know, Princess."
    Before I can reply I'm hit by a handful of mud. I blink in disbelief.
    "You did not just do that," I say.
    "What you gonna do about it?" Alec taunts.
    I stand and move backwards, discreetly grabbing a small flowerpot filled with soil ready to plant in.
    "Nothing," I shrug, keeping my eyes downcast.
    "Really?" Alec's tone is disbelieving and it's a struggle to keep my face straight but somehow, I'm managing.
    "Yeah, nothing. It's childish." I shrug again.
    "Mmm." He eyes me carefully before turning back to what he was doing. I step up next to him and glance down.
    "Whatcha doing?" I ask casually.
    "Planting, what does it look like?" He looks up at me and I whip the plant pot from behind my back, tipping the soil over his head.
    He sputters and curses, pinning me with a playful glare. I giggle and walk backwards. He stands up and walks towards me, his eyes housing a predator-like gleam.
    "We're even," I bargain. "Even. Alec, Alec."
    "Oh no, Princess, we are not even." He shakes his head. "But you might wanna stop, or you're gonna end up over the edge."
    Ah, yeah. So I didn't think that part of my plan through very well.
    I stop an inch from Gram's fence.
    "Don't worry." Alec holds his hands up. "I'm not gonna get you."
    I narrow my eyes and rest my hands on Gram's fence. It gives way a little and I wobble.
    Alec shoots forward and grabs me in his arms, pulling me back in.
    "I won't let you fall," he says softly.
    "I'm not afraid of falling," I whisper, my heart pounding from both my near fall and his sudden closeness.
    "Depends where you're falling to." His tone matches mine.
    I swallow and look up at him. His eyes are fixed on me, emotion showing in them.
    "What if you catch me?" I ask in a soft, tentative voice. "Do I have to be afraid then?"
    He runs a hand up my arm, my neck, my face, until he's cupping my head.
    "No," he replies. "No, Princess. I'll catch you when you fall, and then you'll never have