The Deal Breaker (Book II)

Chapter Twenty-Seven - Forget Me Not

                                               Chapter Twenty-Seven

                                                       Forget Me Not

I’ve spent nearly two weeks just watching my sister sleep, thinking of what was ahead for us both. I know, totally creepy to watch someone sleep, but I had several years of not being around her to catch up on. Cindy spent nearly the entire time just sleeping and healing, only waking up to eat or speak for a few minutes about random things. Thanks to some witchy herbs, she was healing faster than one normally would. All she would have after this is a small scar in her shoulder one could easily mistake as a birthmark.

I knew our time was running out. I watched the sun begin to set behind the trees, leaving this blackness behind. I knew I’d have to get used to the darkness. I just sat in the open window they usually kept hidden behind thick curtains, thinking of how quickly life changes. A month ago I was in my house, alone, throwing stakes at boards and feeding Buddy whatever leftovers I had from a can. Now I’m engaged, losing my sister, and living in a mansion I knew I could only leave with an escort or permission. This wasn’t how I had imagined reuniting with my sister would be like. We were supposed to live at my house and make crappy jokes about booze and connected somehow.

When the sun completely disappeared, I leaned my head against the wooden frame of the window and closed my eyes, wishing for another day or two. I heard the door open, but didn’t move or open my eyes. I knew who it was, and I knew what was about to happen.

“Did you sit there all day?” Matthew asked lightly.

I opened my eyes and looked at him with a sort of defeated feeling in the pit of my stomach. “I couldn’t sleep. It’ll take me a bit to adjust to not seeing the sun,” I murmured, noticing how my arms were slightly glowing red from a sunburn I didn’t realize I had gotten.

Matthew offered his hand to help me down. I took it and hopped from the window, nearly falling over because my legs were stiff from sitting in a crunched position too long. “Everything is ready. It will take me about an hour to clear all of her memories and replace them with new ones. I’ll force Cindy to sleep afterwards. Lacey will come in after Cindy is asleep to change her appearance and dress her.”

I nodded, leaning down to brush some of the hair from Cindy’s face. “I want to be in here with her the whole time.”

“You can’t.”

I looked away from Cindy and glared at Matthew. “Why not?”

“I’m erasing you from her memory, Anna. If she has anything from her past right in front of her at any time, it might bring everything back. I don’t know how strong the compulsion will be, especially when I’m wiping everything clean and rewriting her memories. When I start, you can’t see her ever again.”

My shoulders slumped as this hit me like a ton of sharp and heavy bricks. This was it? If I saw her again, even years later, it’ll ruin everything? She’ll remember me, her past, her mistakes, her struggles. I couldn’t let her see me ever again. I knew it was for the best. Not seeing me again was for the best. It would be a clean break and fresh start for us both. “Can I have a few minutes alone with her first?”

Matthew seemed hesitant before agreeing. “She won’t be fully awake. She has to be drowsy and barely conscious during it all.”

I watched him leave before taking a seat on the bed. Cindy was still sleeping when I nudged her several times. It took a good shaking before her eyes barely opened and she groaned. “…What?” she mumbled.