We sit on her bed, eating the rest of our sandwiches in a comfortable silence, until Nora finishes her last bite and breaks it.
“Hey, uh, what are you doing this weekend?” she asks.
“Nothing, really,” I reply before thinking.
“Maybe we—”
“Oh!” I cut her off, remembering the plans I made just yesterday. “Actually, I have a date with this guy, Ryan. He works at the Dinor. I wasn’t really sure at first, since I can’t remember meeting him, but he actually seems pretty cool, and—”
“You what?” Nora interjects.
“I have a—”
“No.” She shakes her head, hopping up off the bed and standing right in front of me. “You can’t… You…”
I don’t know what reaction I was expecting, but it wasn’t this. I remember Ryan saying he went to Wyatt. Does she know something about him?
“He was in your class, right? Is he like… a jerk or something? Because he seemed like a really good guy,” I reply, giving her a confused look.
“No, he’s not a jerk, I just…” She lets out a frustrated grunt and paces across the room, then stops to look at me again. “You don’t evenlikehim.”
“How doyouknow if I like him?Idon’t even know if I like him yet.” She turns away from me and I stand up to make my way over to her. “Why are you being like this? What, doyoulike have a crush on him or something?”
She turns her back to me. “Forget it. Actually just… Can you just go?”
“What?”
“Stevie, please just go.” Her voice is low, shaky, but final.
So I do. I just… leave. Even though I have no idea what just happened. She must have a crush on him, that’s the only thing that makes sense. But why not just say it, then?
Maybe this was a mistake, thinking Nora would be the right person to help me through this. Clearly, she’s got some shit of her own to straighten out.
And whatever it is, she doesn’t want me involved in it. At least not anymore.
July 5
A DATE? Are you kidding me, Stevie? Why are you pretending to like this guy? Why are you even thinking about dating, anyway? I feel like you have plenty on your plate right now trying to remember the last two years. It literally makes no sense.
Unless you’re giving up.
God.
Please don’t give up.
Because with how I just reacted I don’t think you’re going to want to be hanging out with me unless you do remember. It just took me by surprise… and well, what was I supposed to say when I hear my girlfriend is going out with some dude? Plus you told me coming right off the heels of our conversation about the future we almost had together. I just couldn’t take it. And I can’t explain how I know you won’t like him, because I can’t tell you any of this. This whole situation is impossible, Stevie.
I look at that photograph I have of you every single night, the one you almost found today, and I tell myself that we’ve already faced so much together, we can overcome this, too. But with each passing day… it feels like you’re slipping further and further away from me.
I won’t give up, though. I will never give up on you.
Being back in the woods did nothing to jog your memory like we both hoped, but I have to believe that something will. This Ryan thing is just temporary. Maybe it’ll even be a good thing. Maybe when it falls flat, you’ll realize why. You’ll remember that this isn’t you. You’ll remember me.
Nora
CHAPTER 16
DICE, STEVIE.DICE!” MY MOMyells from behind me.
