barely gone fifty yards before he catches up with me, colliding with me so that we both tumble to the ground in a heap.
He looks at me then, staring in shock and, I realize, embarrassment.
“I’m so sorry,” he says. “I thought… I thought you were somebody else.”
He doesn’t recognize me. It seems that all those technicians back in the desert did a pretty good job. Yet having Grayson so close and not know that it’s me is hardly something to make me happy, particularly not with the way Grayson’s face falls as we both make our way back to our feet.
“I’m really sorry,” he repeats. “It was just that, sitting there, walking, you reminded me so much of-”
I can’t bear to hear him say my name. Not now. Without thinking, I reach up to touch his face. “It’s fine,” I say, even though it really isn’t fine, not then. “People make mistakes.”
“Even your voice…” Grayson begins, and then pauses, looking at me closely. It’s like what he’s seeing doesn’t match what he knows he should be seeing. “Celes?”
I shake my head. “I’m sorry, I don’t know who that is. I’m not who you think I am.”
That hurts me just to say it, but it seems to hurt Grayson more. He kind of folds in on himself, sitting down on the grass and I want to reach out to hold him, but I know I can’t.
“I’ve been searching for my girlfriend for weeks,” he says, “and it’s like she just vanished. It’s not like her at all. She wouldn’t just leave me a text message breaking up with me. Celes wouldn’t do that, she would talk it out with me before that.” Grayson shakes his head. “Something’s happened to her, and I have to find out. I have to find her…”
“Gray-” That syllable escapes before I can stop it.
“What?” Grayson looks up.
“Nothing.” I shake my head. “Look, I’m not who you think I am, but I hope you do move on. Whoever your girlfriend was, she’s not worth moping for, if she dumped you the way you said she did. Move on, get a new girl…” I can’t finish that. I know I should want Grayson to be happy, should want him to find someone who can take some of this pain away, but the thought of him with someone else just isn’t one I can stomach.
It doesn’t seem like one Grayson can handle either. He stands. “If you knew Celes, you would know she’s worth everything to me. I loved her… so much. I still love her.”
I reach out to put a hand on his shoulder, and Grayson reacts, turning it into a hug. I’ve missed those hugs. But when he jerks back, I know something’s wrong.
“You even smell like her.”
I don’t answer, but walk for my car. Grayson follows. And it’s then that I notice the car that’s parked just a little way from us. It’s a black sedan, which is unsubtle enough in itself. You’d think that people would pick something else for stake outs. The fact that there are a couple of guys in it just staring at us makes it even clearer. Someone has found me.
“Oh no. No, no, no. ”
“What?” Grayson asks.
Are they here because Jack has sent them to pick me up? He’d be able to track my phone, right? Probably even my car. Somehow though, I know he hasn’t sent them. Jack would have come himself.
The two men get out of the car. They’re dressed in black, the same way the men from Jack’s apartment were. I try to work out which way to play this. I could run, but if they’re armed, then I’ll just be a perfect target. Or I can play it cool and hope that my disguise holds. That sounds like the better option by far.
I turn to Grayson. “Thank you, sir, for telling me how to get back to the highway. I guess I’m more lost than I thought.”
I walk for my car then, hoping it will be enough, but I can’t resist a glance back. That’s when I see that one of the two men has taken hold of Grayson’s wrist and is dragging him towards the black sedan.
I’m not sure about what happens next. I react purely on instinct, knowing that I
He looks at me then, staring in shock and, I realize, embarrassment.
“I’m so sorry,” he says. “I thought… I thought you were somebody else.”
He doesn’t recognize me. It seems that all those technicians back in the desert did a pretty good job. Yet having Grayson so close and not know that it’s me is hardly something to make me happy, particularly not with the way Grayson’s face falls as we both make our way back to our feet.
“I’m really sorry,” he repeats. “It was just that, sitting there, walking, you reminded me so much of-”
I can’t bear to hear him say my name. Not now. Without thinking, I reach up to touch his face. “It’s fine,” I say, even though it really isn’t fine, not then. “People make mistakes.”
“Even your voice…” Grayson begins, and then pauses, looking at me closely. It’s like what he’s seeing doesn’t match what he knows he should be seeing. “Celes?”
I shake my head. “I’m sorry, I don’t know who that is. I’m not who you think I am.”
That hurts me just to say it, but it seems to hurt Grayson more. He kind of folds in on himself, sitting down on the grass and I want to reach out to hold him, but I know I can’t.
“I’ve been searching for my girlfriend for weeks,” he says, “and it’s like she just vanished. It’s not like her at all. She wouldn’t just leave me a text message breaking up with me. Celes wouldn’t do that, she would talk it out with me before that.” Grayson shakes his head. “Something’s happened to her, and I have to find out. I have to find her…”
“Gray-” That syllable escapes before I can stop it.
“What?” Grayson looks up.
“Nothing.” I shake my head. “Look, I’m not who you think I am, but I hope you do move on. Whoever your girlfriend was, she’s not worth moping for, if she dumped you the way you said she did. Move on, get a new girl…” I can’t finish that. I know I should want Grayson to be happy, should want him to find someone who can take some of this pain away, but the thought of him with someone else just isn’t one I can stomach.
It doesn’t seem like one Grayson can handle either. He stands. “If you knew Celes, you would know she’s worth everything to me. I loved her… so much. I still love her.”
I reach out to put a hand on his shoulder, and Grayson reacts, turning it into a hug. I’ve missed those hugs. But when he jerks back, I know something’s wrong.
“You even smell like her.”
I don’t answer, but walk for my car. Grayson follows. And it’s then that I notice the car that’s parked just a little way from us. It’s a black sedan, which is unsubtle enough in itself. You’d think that people would pick something else for stake outs. The fact that there are a couple of guys in it just staring at us makes it even clearer. Someone has found me.
“Oh no. No, no, no. ”
“What?” Grayson asks.
Are they here because Jack has sent them to pick me up? He’d be able to track my phone, right? Probably even my car. Somehow though, I know he hasn’t sent them. Jack would have come himself.
The two men get out of the car. They’re dressed in black, the same way the men from Jack’s apartment were. I try to work out which way to play this. I could run, but if they’re armed, then I’ll just be a perfect target. Or I can play it cool and hope that my disguise holds. That sounds like the better option by far.
I turn to Grayson. “Thank you, sir, for telling me how to get back to the highway. I guess I’m more lost than I thought.”
I walk for my car then, hoping it will be enough, but I can’t resist a glance back. That’s when I see that one of the two men has taken hold of Grayson’s wrist and is dragging him towards the black sedan.
I’m not sure about what happens next. I react purely on instinct, knowing that I
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