AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Bay Leaf
DARK CLOUDS FILLED the sky as I picked at my dinner while recanting the memories that managed to escape my mind's cage. They were powerful, dark, and scary. Maybe I was better off without them.
"You haven't said much since the appointment." Nichole had a worried look on her face as she sipped some wine.
I put my fork down and stared off into the black waters. We sat on the patio despite the threatening sky. I should have felt excited after meeting Dr. Caldwell, but after my moment in the stairwell, I slowly fell back into a feeling of hopelessness.
"Just tired." I forced a smile. I also missed the Reilly boys, but I kept that confession to myself.
"Me, too. I'll be holed up in my room doing research, so go to sleep whenever you want."
"Thanks."
She picked up her empty plate and wine glass and disappeared into the house. I was trying to hold on to the happy moments I had with the guys, but they were already fading. I closed my eyes and tried to envision the face of the man I was kissing, with no luck and it was infuriating. All of this was. I resisted the urge to pick up my plate and throw it into the sand.
The sky opened and the rain poured down, filling my plate and ruining my dinner. I cleared the table and went inside. After washing the dishes, I established my new nighttime routine, which was a small accomplishment, but one that brought me a peculiar sense of peace.
I crawled into the bed and drifted off quickly, only to be awakened by a loud pounding on the door. I rubbed my eyes hard, trying to adjust to the dark. The pounding came again and Nichole came rushing out of her room.
"Impatient much?" she shouted at the door.
"What time is it?" I asked as she peeked through the peephole.
"Great! Get ready for a train wreck."
I cringed at the reference remembering the accident that took the Reilly boys' whole family. She unlocked the door, and a girl around our age stumbled inside.
"It's about time," the brunette slurred.
"What are you doing here, Alex? It's two in the morning. People sleep, you know?"
"Whatever." She dismissed Nichole and sat on my bed and stared at me. "Who are you?"
She wasn't making the best first impression.
"Alex, this is my friend. She's staying here for a little while."
"Wait, turn on the lights," Alex demanded.
Nichole flipped the switch, shocking my eyes. "Can you take this into your room, Nichole?"
"I know you," Alex revealed.
Nichole and I looked at each other. She knew me? Adrenaline pushed the rest of the sleep away. "You do?" I was practically begging for this to be real.
"Yes. Your name is…what the hell is your name? I know I know it. Don't tell me. Just give me a minute."
Nichole pressed, "How do you know her?"
"Shush. I'm trying to remember."
If she didn't sober up and tell me who I was, I might just claw her eyes out.
"Dammit. I can't remember."
My shoulders sank in disappointment.
"But I do know you. You have a really hot boyfriend. I mean, seriously, I could lick him."
