moment, I don’t have a clue.”
“ Wow,” he says softly. “That must be tough.”
“ Very.” I pause. “Can I ask you something, Duke?”
“ Anything.”
“ How long have we been dating?”
He thinks for a moment. “I asked you on our first date about a year ago. The day after junior prom. But we’d known each other since second grade.”
“ After the prom? You mean we didn’t go together?”
“ No,” he says, laughing. “We both went with friends. I wanted to ask you, but I didn’t have the guts.”
I smile. “So what happened that finally gave you the courage?”
“ It’s a long story, babe.”
“ I have time. Besides, it might help me remember.”
“ Okay,” he agrees, looking thoughtful. “Well, after prom, our group went to Malibu Beach. It was late, but we were having so much fun, you know? There was music, dancing, laughing, so we didn’t care what time it was. Anyway, at sunrise, people started swimming. You and Stacy got in the water.” He shakes his head, looking as if he doesn’t want to go on. “All of a sudden, Stacy started screaming bloody murder. I ran over to find out what happened, and she said a rip current had dragged you out. So I took a boogie board and swam out to get you. It took several minutes to reach you. The waves were strong, but I eventually got there. You were crying hysterically, completely out of strength.”
I stare at him, slightly breathless. “You saved me?” I manage.
“ That’s what you said after we swam back.” Smiling, he adds, “Then you kissed me.”
“ And that was when you asked me out?”
He nods. “Yeah. We’ve been the golden couple since. We’re perfect together. You being the captain of the cheerleading squad. And me being the star quarterback of the football team.” He takes my hand in his and kisses it. “Everybody wishes they were us.” He chuckles. “Can you blame them? We’re totally perfect.”
“ That does sound perfect,” I admit. Problem is, I can’t stand the thought of being a cheerleader anymore.
“ Yeah. It is. And you and I get each other, ya know? Like, you totally know what I’m thinking. You tell me all the time that you love me, and I love you, too. I really do. It’ll all come back to you. Trust me. Nobody forgets me forever!”
I don’t move when he closes the final distance between us and hugs me, resting his chin on the top of my head. I close my eyes. I’m torn between feeling trapped and feeling safe. I want to run, and at the same time I want to bury myself in his strong arms forever.
“ Oh, Sia,” he says gruffly.
How sweet, I think.
“ I’ve been lonely without you.” He draws back so he can look down at me. Then he proves how lonely he’s been by completely smothering me with his lips. I try to relax into the kiss, to welcome it, but instead, I feel uneasy. It’s a relief when he steps away. I smile at him, hoping he can see the apology in my eyes.
He doesn’t seem to notice. The sad, lonely, emotional Duke is now matter-of-fact. And looking quite pleased with himself. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Sia. And don’t worry. It’ll all be fine.”
That night, as I climb into the softest bed I ever could have imagined, my mind is in turmoil. “Fugue Amnesia,” I say out loud, repeating the doctor’s diagnosis. He’d said the condition was the result of too much stress, but I haven’t seen anything stressful about my old life. As far as I can tell, I was living a fairy tale before I woke up in the park. I live in a gorgeous mansion with wealthy parents who work in the movie industry, and I’d caught a glimpse of my sweet red BMW convertible earlier. We even have a private pool. Obviously, I have caring friends, a stud of a boyfriend, and I must to be popular; I’m captain of the cheerleaders, of all things!
What could have been so stressful that it had brought on this amnesia?
It makes no sense. Nothing does.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Sun streams into my bedroom,
“ Wow,” he says softly. “That must be tough.”
“ Very.” I pause. “Can I ask you something, Duke?”
“ Anything.”
“ How long have we been dating?”
He thinks for a moment. “I asked you on our first date about a year ago. The day after junior prom. But we’d known each other since second grade.”
“ After the prom? You mean we didn’t go together?”
“ No,” he says, laughing. “We both went with friends. I wanted to ask you, but I didn’t have the guts.”
I smile. “So what happened that finally gave you the courage?”
“ It’s a long story, babe.”
“ I have time. Besides, it might help me remember.”
“ Okay,” he agrees, looking thoughtful. “Well, after prom, our group went to Malibu Beach. It was late, but we were having so much fun, you know? There was music, dancing, laughing, so we didn’t care what time it was. Anyway, at sunrise, people started swimming. You and Stacy got in the water.” He shakes his head, looking as if he doesn’t want to go on. “All of a sudden, Stacy started screaming bloody murder. I ran over to find out what happened, and she said a rip current had dragged you out. So I took a boogie board and swam out to get you. It took several minutes to reach you. The waves were strong, but I eventually got there. You were crying hysterically, completely out of strength.”
I stare at him, slightly breathless. “You saved me?” I manage.
“ That’s what you said after we swam back.” Smiling, he adds, “Then you kissed me.”
“ And that was when you asked me out?”
He nods. “Yeah. We’ve been the golden couple since. We’re perfect together. You being the captain of the cheerleading squad. And me being the star quarterback of the football team.” He takes my hand in his and kisses it. “Everybody wishes they were us.” He chuckles. “Can you blame them? We’re totally perfect.”
“ That does sound perfect,” I admit. Problem is, I can’t stand the thought of being a cheerleader anymore.
“ Yeah. It is. And you and I get each other, ya know? Like, you totally know what I’m thinking. You tell me all the time that you love me, and I love you, too. I really do. It’ll all come back to you. Trust me. Nobody forgets me forever!”
I don’t move when he closes the final distance between us and hugs me, resting his chin on the top of my head. I close my eyes. I’m torn between feeling trapped and feeling safe. I want to run, and at the same time I want to bury myself in his strong arms forever.
“ Oh, Sia,” he says gruffly.
How sweet, I think.
“ I’ve been lonely without you.” He draws back so he can look down at me. Then he proves how lonely he’s been by completely smothering me with his lips. I try to relax into the kiss, to welcome it, but instead, I feel uneasy. It’s a relief when he steps away. I smile at him, hoping he can see the apology in my eyes.
He doesn’t seem to notice. The sad, lonely, emotional Duke is now matter-of-fact. And looking quite pleased with himself. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Sia. And don’t worry. It’ll all be fine.”
That night, as I climb into the softest bed I ever could have imagined, my mind is in turmoil. “Fugue Amnesia,” I say out loud, repeating the doctor’s diagnosis. He’d said the condition was the result of too much stress, but I haven’t seen anything stressful about my old life. As far as I can tell, I was living a fairy tale before I woke up in the park. I live in a gorgeous mansion with wealthy parents who work in the movie industry, and I’d caught a glimpse of my sweet red BMW convertible earlier. We even have a private pool. Obviously, I have caring friends, a stud of a boyfriend, and I must to be popular; I’m captain of the cheerleaders, of all things!
What could have been so stressful that it had brought on this amnesia?
It makes no sense. Nothing does.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Sun streams into my bedroom,
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