JANUARY 18TH 1997

"Oh no I'm sorry!"

"Adair---"

Adair Mosley quickly shut the door before Forrest managed to get a word.

Her head was spinning

Her heart was racing

Did she just see her best friend's older brother naked?

She really saw Forrest Hammond in his birthday suit.

 She saw everything too.

Adair quickly made her way back down the hall to the stairs to use the bathroom downstairs instead.

Forrest took the towel from the rack and wrapped it around his waist as he tried to process what the hell just happened. His younger sister Willow told him that her friend would be coming over to work on a project for their Biology class.

The poor girl was probably embarrassed out of her mind. Adair often came over after school to escape her mother's perverted boyfriend. Willow insisted that the piece of shit hadn't touched Adair but she felt uncomfortable around him.

Forrest grimaced at the thought because Adair was only two months older than Willow if their own stepfather ever tried to....he couldn't even imagine. Willow also told him that Adair had a bit of a crush on him.

Forrest was flattered but at twenty-three he was seven years older than her. He wasn't going to entertain or encourage the infatuation of a sixteen-year-old girl.

"Adair, calm down it was accident," Willow said as she poured each of them a glass of fruit punch "I'm sure Forrest will understand"

"When did he come back?" Adair asked

"Late last night" Willow replied, "his tour ended so he was able to come back sooner; he has his own place but he thinks I'm too young to be here alone for a week without Mom and Dad even though I'll be sixteen in two months"

"Oh"

"You still have a crush on him don't you?"

"Um...."

"It's okay" Willow said "since he's my brother I don't look at him that way but I guess if I saw my crush naked I'd be a little tongue tied too"

"What are you two little hens clucking about?"

Adair's heart pitter-pattered at the sound of Forrest's gruff voice as he entered the kitchen; at least now he was fully clothed.

"Very funny Forrest" Willow smirked "hey those are our nachos!"

"Didn't see your names on them kid" Forrest said taking some of the cheesy chips and popping them in his mouth.

"Yours isn't on them either dude," Willow laughed giving her brother a playful slap earning her a ruffle of her strawberry blonde hair

Adair couldn't help but to smile at that; Forrest had always been a good brother.

Her smile quickly faded when Heath turned his attention to her. Adair felt her cheeks grow hot under his gaze.

"Hey Adair" he greeted giving her a friendly smile "how are you doing?"

"I'm good"

"You sure?"

"Forrest seriously?" Willow scolded her brother

"I'm just trying to make sure Adair is okay"

"You're embarrassing her"

"She was more embarrassed about an a half hour ago when she saw me naked"

If Adair could remember the few characteristics that Forrest had is that he didn't pussyfoot around he almost always cut right to the chase.

"I am okay" she insisted

"You'd tell me or my sister if you weren't right?"

"Yes"

"You don't sound certain"

"Forrest leave Adair alone and her walking in on you was an accident; she didn't do it on purpose" Willow spoke up again

"Oh I know" Forrest replied "but judging how jumpy Adair is she doesn't seem to know that"

Adair bit her lower lip

"Well maybe she wouldn't have walked in on you if you weren't here" Willow said sarcastically "we're fifteen and sixteen you don't need to be here"

"Last I checked you two were still minors" Forrest replied "I can't just leave you girls alone besides what are you two going to do during the snowstorm tonight?"

"Is it really going to snow tonight?" Adair asked

"Forecast is calling for 8-10 inches by tomorrow morning" Forrest said, "I'm going to run to the store because we're going to need more food than nachos to sustain us"

"Safe to say we won't have school tomorrow either" Willow added

"Is it okay if I spend the night?" Adair asked

"Of course" Willow said automatically "Forrest you don't mind do you?"

"No problem"

It started snowing around eight and Forrest was in the kitchen putting up groceries while the girls were working on their project. With all the laughter and giggling going on Forrest had to wonder if the girls were actually getting their work done.

There was no way Forrest was going to send Adair home now anyway not with the way the weather was. Plus obvious reasons as well it was plain on the young girl's face as she asked to spend the night.

The phone rang as Forrest placed the gallon of milk in the refrigerator.

"Hello"

"Where's my daughter?"

"I'm sorry who is this?"

"Rhonda Mosley and I want to know where my daughter Adair is" the voice said angrily "her ass was supposed to be home damn near three hours ago and now it's snowing"

Forrest already didn't like her tone but he did his best to keep his own even

"Adair can spend the night here it's not a problem---"

"Who the hell are you? I thought she was at her little friend's house you sound like a grown man"

"Forrest Hammond" he replied "I'm Willow's older brother and yes I am a grown man"

"Oh hell no!" Rhonda snarled "she needs to bring her ass home now! I'm not having my daughter stay with some strange man she barely knows"

"Your daughter and my sister have been friends for almost two years now; I'm not some strange man" Forrest replied, "I don't think the same thing could be said about your boyfriend though"

"Excuse me?!?"

"Adair told Willow that your perverted boyfriend has been sexually harassing her and even tried to force himself on her"

"She's lying!" Rhonda spat back "that girl is just fast Bruce has never touched her or started anything with her; it was probably some boy down the street---"

"You believe his word over your own daughter?" Forrest asked disgusted "you really think Adair would lie to you about something like that?"

"All I know is Bruce said he didn't do shit to her it isn't none of your business anyway" Rhonda said coldly "tell you what as soon as this snow clears up you can send her to go live with her biological father since she's always crying about how she misses him anyway"

Rhonda then hung the phone up and that was that.

Did this woman really just give up her daughter for that piece of shit?

Forrest sighed.

"....I have a blowup mattress"

"Huh?"

"I said I have a blowup mattress you can sleep on," Willow repeated

"Oh okay"

"I know how much you like Space Jam so I have some Lola Bunny pajamas" Willow said excitedly tossing Adair the over sized shirt and pants.

The female bunny was in her Tune Squad uniform was shooting a basket with the movie logo under her and the pants were black with stars on it.

"Thanks"

"Hey cheer up it will be snow so hard that we'll be will be stuck here for at least the rest of the week" Willow insisted "it gives us time to watch movies, finish our project, and make our scrapbook"

"Does your brother even want me here?" Adair asked

"You still worried about that whole shower incident?" Willow asked "Forrest has had many girlfriends since he was in high school so he's not exactly a virgin; you're not the first girl to see him in his birthday suit"

"Oh" Adair blushed "I didn't think of that"

"Forrest doesn't mind you being here I promise you that" Willow reassured "I think those butterflies in your stomach are just making you nervous"

Adair wasn't going to tell Willow that she kind of liked seeing Forrest nude because no girl want to hear that about her brother. However that didn't stop her from feeling that way.

"Let's watch Buffy" Willow suggested "I think there's a new episode tonight"

Adair just could not sleep. No matter how hard she tried. She turned over to see the clock on Willow's night table read three in the morning. Willow on the other hand was knocked out like a baby so at least her friend was able to sleep.

Adair quietly got up and tiptoed downstairs to the kitchen hoping to get a glass of water. It was snowing pretty hard out and the wind was howling but it was nice and cozy in the Hammond household.

Adair froze when she saw the kitchen light on and at the table was Forrest looking over some documents. It made her feel like a deer in headlights at that moment; maybe she should go back upstairs---

"You okay Adair?" he asked looking up from his papers "couldn't sleep?"

"I was just going to get a glass of water" she forced herself to say

"Otherwise known as not being able to sleep" Forrest chuckled teasing her a little

Adair couldn't help but feel her cheeks glow and even though her mother was trash she did thank her for the brown complexion to hide her blush. The joke did make her feel a little more at ease though.

"How about some hot chocolate instead?" Forrest suggested getting up from the table "I was just thinking of getting some myself"

"Oh okay"

"You can have a seat" he said, "hot chocolate is a lot more comfortable sitting down"

"Oh"

Adair quickly sat down and nervously tugged at one of her locs; she was such an idiot sometimes. Forrest had on a pair of black plaid pajama pants and a long sleeve gray pajama shirt that still managed to show his physique. His hair was a bit messy but it was also three in the morning as well.

"Did you and Willow manage to get any homework done?" he asked as he poured milk into the pot to boil and got two mugs ready.

"For the most part yes" Adair replied "Willow mainly talked about what Grayson Matthews was wearing in class the other day"

"I've been hearing a lot about Grayson" Forrest chuckled "I'm guessing he's going to be her date to junior prom next year"

"More than likely yeah" Adair agreed, "what are these papers?"

"Those are my discharge papers"

"You're leaving the military?"

"Not permanently" Forrest said "I just want make sure I'm around for Willow at least until the two of you graduate high school; our parents go away a lot for work and I don't want her completely alone she might try to invite Grayson over"

"Grayson might be a little intimidated by you" Adair pointed out

"As he should be" Forrest chuckled "he won't be stepping out of line with my baby sister that's for sure"

Once the milk was finished boiling Forrest poured both of them into the mugs and the sweet scent of the chocolate aroma filled the kitchen. He brought the two steaming mugs to the table and sat right across from Adair.

There was a brief silence between them and the only thing that could be heard was the snow and wind howling. Guilt chewed up at Adair again.

"Forrest I'm sorry about earlier," she admitted twirling the spoon around in her mug "I shouldn't have just barged into the bathroom like that"

"Adair look at me" Forrest said gently and firmly

It took a minute but Adair did eventually look Forrest in the face to see his caring emerald eyes; no wonder his parents named him Forrest.

"It was an accident you did nothing wrong"

"But you were naked"

"I don't usually shower with clothes on" he chuckled "it's fine and I know you didn't mean to do it on purpose"

"Yeah well I....I didn't ....it was just awkward"

"I can assure you Adair it's okay and I accept your apology"

The guilt that had been weighing on Adair for the last few hours had been lifted.

"Your mother called while you and Willow were working"

"She did?"

"Yeah" Forrest said, "she was looking for you"

Forrest saw Adair's body language completely changed and he didn't like it.

"I knew she would be angry that I didn't come home"

"Adair I want you to be honest with me" he said, "has Bruce ever touched you?"

Adair stopped stirring the spoon

"I know that Willow said that you told her that he didn't but I'm under the impression that he did"

"I didn't want Willow to make a deal about it---"

"So he did touch you?"

".......yes" Adair replied "I told my mother and she didn't believe me; I started locking my bedroom at night---"

"He came into your bedroom?"

"It's why I wanted to stay" she confessed "or at least get to my father's house"

"Would you rather live with your father?"

"Yes"

"Then you're going to go live with your father" Forrest promised "once the snow clears up you won't ever have to step foot in your mother's house ever again"

"Are you going to report my mother to the police?"

"I'm obligated to by law" Forrest said "since you're still a minor she and her boyfriend will definitely have to do time"

"I don't want my mother to go to jail" Adair said sincerely "I just wanted Bruce to leave me alone I should have stayed out of his way---"

"No Adair you shouldn't have been on Bruce's radar at all he's a grown man and you're a teenage girl" Forrest said firmly "you did nothing wrong"

Adair didn't say anything but she did feel weird about her feelings for Forrest now. After all he was also a grown white man and she was a black teenage girl even if they were only seven years apart. The only difference was Forrest didn't sexually assault her.

"It's late" Forrest insisted "why don't you try to get some sleep and we'll handle this in the morning okay?"

"Okay"

"You're a good kid Adair"

Kid.

Teenager.

Minor.

Adair knew that Forrest was using those terms purposely. He was putting up clear and firm boundaries; because he obviously caught on to her feelings.

However at the same time Forrest wasn't going to lead her on with false hope.

If only she was a couple of years older or even the same age as him.....

"Thanks Forrest"

"You're welcome"