I'm with You Read Online Free Page A

have my Gram, God love her, she has tried to be who and I what I needed. I walk into her old plantation style home. I never knock, the door is usually unlocked. Piss! I forgot today is her quilting club luncheon. They meet at Gram’s every third week of the month. I grab a finger sandwich and walk out back to the garden.
    I spent so many days of my childhood playing back here. This garden was my sanctuary; whenever life got too tough I could come back here and get lost in all of Gram’s beautiful flowers. That is why I think the paper daisies are from Harlan, he spent many nights feeling me up out here. A lot of the nights I snuck out to be with him, we ended up back here.
    He knows — he knew how special this garden is to me. There is a rose in just about any color you could ask for. I love sitting on the stone bench by the trellis covered in morning glories. I hear Gram and her old biddies coming out onto the back patio for sweet tea. I give them a gentle wave and let Gram know I’ll be back at five for dinner.
    I make my way through the back gate to be met by Nolan. Shit — I should have known he would know where to find me. Gram wouldn’t be happy to see him here. She has never been a fan of the River’s boys — mostly because my daddy used to run the roads with their daddy while they were in their teens — or so my Gram used to tell me. That is how my dad ended up in the military. Our fathers got into some trouble and my daddy joined the service to get out of jail.
    She also knows a lot of the bad I went through with Harlan. He wasn’t the perfect boyfriend, but I know he cared about me, maybe not as much as I love him, but still he was always there. “Nolan, what brings you to town?” I avoid making eye contact with him.
    “Well tomorrow marks one year for Harlan, as you know. I am here for the memorial my mom is insisting on having. I wanted to invite you. You know we know that what happened was an accident, we don’t blame you Bella. It could have happened to anyone. It was a freak accident.” He shrugs and shoves his hands in his pockets.
    “I can’t come, Nolan, but thanks. I have my own plans already for tomorrow.”
    “Sure, but if you change your mind, mom would really like to talk to you. She thinks you and her could both use the closure.”
    “I can’t.” I shuffle my feet and light up another smok e. I can’t look him in the eyes— he looks too much like my Harlan, but with lighter hair. But his eyes are the same shade of green; it is like staring into a pair of emeralds.
    “T ake care of yourself Bella Rose — my brother sure did love you.”
    “Funny, you never thought so any other time. Or all of the times you brought sluts home to fuck him. I don’t need you to tell me he loved me.” I know better than to taunt him, but I can’t help it. I have so many hard feelings harbored towards him to keep my mouth shut.
    “Whoa, take a step bac k from crazy town. I just meant I know he cared a lot about you. You know what, fuck it. I don’t want you there, you always were a stuck up bitch.” He bumps hard into my shoulder as I try to get around him, asshat.
    I can’t get away from him fast enough , he tries to stop me to apologize, but I need to go home. I have had enough socialization for today. I really hoped to have my final dinner with Gram, but she will be too tired after quilting all day anyways. I go back around to the front of the house and inside Grams to the foyer and leave her a note on her calling table to let her know I am not feeling up to dinner.
    **
    Later that night I can’t sleep. I keep hearing Harlan’s skull cracking against the rocks. I wake clinching my tank top in the center of my chest. I can’t control the sobs as they escape my throat. I crawl out from under my burgundy down comforter and get a glass of tap water from the kitchen sink. I keep trying, but I can’t shake the sound. “Harlan,” I whisper his name. “It won’t be long now. I will be with