“That is the theme of the week,” Luca agrees.
“So why is it such a secret?” Crash asks. “Seems like the world would love to know that zombies are real and still hot.”
“Because I broke… alotof rules,” I tell him.
“Yeah, they’d only ever done it on dogs and cats before.” I am thrilled to see that Luca actually seems proud to share this.
“No shit.” Crash nods, impressed. “I’m coming to you if Leo ever gets sick. I love that cat, and you never know when having a mad scientist around will come in handy.”
At this, even Annie’s expression softens. Something tells me he just might win her over yet. “Deal,” she says.
“Excellent,” Crash says, but then his expression clears and he looks at Luca. “Wait. You mean to tell me you don’t remember the Evil Tree?” Luca shakes his head. “Rotting Hill?” Another head shake. Crash lowers his voice: “The Magic Twins?” Once more, Luca shakes his head. “Oh shit,” says Crash quietly, looking down to his lap, and my stomach twists in guilt all over again.
So much shared history—ours, theirs—simply gone. Luca’s relationship with Crash is deep and meaningful to both of them, and I ache not only for what I’ve potentially lost, but for what the two of them have, too. I am desperate to help Luca get his memory back.
But seemingly thrilled by the challenge, Crash turns his face up to us, grinning and rubbing his hands together. “Man, have I got some stories for you.”
20EMERY
In the kitchen with Annie, I move straight to the cupboard and start to make coffee. A solid night of sleep did me good, but I’m still ready to drop.
Leaning against the counter, Annie starts the process of unpackaging and turning on Luca’s new phone. “He seems to be doing well,” she says quietly.
“Remarkably so.” At the sink, I fill the carafe with water. “Vitals are stable. I haven’t asked about everything, but major body systems seem to be functioning. He’s already walking and you should see his bruises. Mostly gone.”
“It’s crazy,” she says, a hint of excitement in her voice. It’s not the appropriate time, but despite the lingering guilt, I’ve got the thrum of adrenaline, too, the sense that we’re on the edge of something that will change the world. “How’s everything else? Like, between you two?”
Pouring water into the machine, I add the coffee and set it to brew. “Weird, but we’ve had some good talks,” I say, and lean against the counter next to her. “I haven’t been a very good wife to him.”
“He loves you, Emery. It’s in there, I promise.”
“I’m not so sure—” I start, jumping when Annie smacks my hand from where I’m gnawing on my fingernails. “Rude.”
“Then knock it off,” she says. “Tell me what happened.”
Annie knows how much I’d started to struggle with lying to Luca, and how terrified I was of the repercussions if he found out. Every lie started to feel like a stone I was carrying around in my pocket, waitingfor the combined weight to eventually drown me. Now it’s like each admission lets me breathe a little easier. “I told him everything. Do you know how many times I’ve imagined doing that?”
“That must have been a relief.”
I nod, unable to articulate how much.
“And? Was he upset?” she says, looking up from where Luca’s phone is powering on.
“I wouldn’t say upset. How could he be? It’s like secondhand information about two people he doesn’t even know. He tried to ease the tension with a joke, but I can tell it made him wary. Well, warier,” I add with a sigh. “He asked if I could find life balance outside of work.”
“What did you say?”
“That I want to. That I want to prioritize us.” I swallow, trying to suppress the question but feeling it rise inside me. “Speaking of work, how was everything? Did anyone question me taking time off?”
“I assume most people think you needed a cooling-off period so you don’t murder Vince.”
“They’re not wrong,” I say.
“He barely blinked at the staff meeting when Leonard announced you’d be gone. I would have expected him to break out in spontaneous song and dance.”
“A horrible image.”
She shrugs. “If anyone knows about our shenanigans on Friday, they aren’t talking. At least where I can hear. I don’t want to jinx us but, in that respect, we might be in the clear.” She slides Luca’s phone across the counter so I can enter his password. I type it in, but she probably could have figured it out herself: 123456. Luca is an open book. Wonder what that feels like.
