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“You met Ben at college. You were in some of the same classes.” She purses her lips and frowns. “I met you at the wedding. I was Ben’s date. We’d just started seeing each other.”
I was close enough with these people that they were at my wedding? And the idea that I made friends at college. That I became confident enough to have friends… and now I can’t remember them… it feels awful. “So you’re dating?”
“Just friends.” She hands me back my phone. “He moved away to be with his dad who has cancer.”
“Wow. That sucks.”
“It’s okay. His dad is doing great. They caught it early and they’re treating it aggressively. But we decided we would be better as friends. Long distance is not my thing. Neither is exclusivity, actually. And Ben is a bit of a boy next door, if you know what I mean.” She makes a face and then laughs. “Of course you don’t. You’re with that sex god, aren’t you? You’re the girl who totally took Rogue Maddox off the market. Lucky bitch. He is to die for.”
I stir my drink with my straw just for something to do with my hands. I almost did die and somehow it revolves around my husband. And I think that’s part of the reason he doesn’t want to take me to Narnia. He’s scared of what I could remember.
“Oh.” She covers her mouth with her hands. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“It’s okay. It’s fine.” She seems sweet and well-meaning, if a little over-enthusiastic. “It’s just the more that I learn about the things that I’ve forgotten the less certain I am of what is true and real.”
“I don’t believe for a minute that he hurt you,” she says. “I don’t know if that helps. But he’s a sweet guy. I could tell he just absolutely adored you from the way he looked at you. Plus Maddox men have this loyalty streak like you would not believe. It’ll probably drive you up the wall.”
“You speak like you have experience.” Did she date one of them? Perhaps Riot?
“That’s not…” Her face turns the color of her hair. “I just mean that I imagine they would. From everything on the internet.”
“He’s been sweet to me,” I agree. Hasn’t hurt me. Only tried to protect me. But that hurts me in its own way. And there’s still the matter of what happened between us after I forgave him for kissing that girl. “Do you know why we broke up?”
“Mmm.” She shakes her head. “I wish I could help. The last time I saw you was when Will and I dropped you and Rogue home. You were definitely still together then.”
“Will?” I can’t keep up.
“Ivy, what are you doing here? I was about to head over and collect you,” Rogue says as he treads heavily toward us. There’s a dark scowl on his face. He frowns at Dizzy and his lip does this thing like he’s not sure he likes her. “Dizzy?”
“It’s good to see you.” She jumps to her feet. “I should go see my brother. But if you need anything, you have my number.”
“I do.” Dizzy grins and bounces on the balls of her feet. “Next time I’m drawing on your cast.”
I stand as she runs off. “Not a good visit?”
“Huh?” He glances the way Dizzy disappeared.
“With your mom?”
“She’s going through a rough patch,” he says and engulfs my hand with his as we walk through Sunny.
“Do you want to tell me about it?”
"She didn’t recognize me.” There’s pain in his gaze. “She was scared of me.”
I wonder how hard it must have been to realize that I didn’t recognize him when he came to pick me up from the hospital. He’d seemed so in control of his emotions, but I’m starting to see how mercurial he truly is. It must have been hard to feel like I was slipping away from him too. “I’m so sorry.”
“Everything okay with you?” he asks, turning the conversation away from his mom as we walk to the car. “What happened to therapy?”
“Dr. Keller is away,” I say. “But I ran into Dizzy. She says we’re friends.”
“I guess you could say that. She dated your friend Ben. You spent some time with her.”
“Just another thing I’ve forgotten.” One in what has become a long list.
“You’ll be okay.” He wraps his arm around my shoulders and kisses my forehead. “I promise.”
“I know I will. I just wish I could remember.” He holds the door open and I climb into the Jeep.
