Every Day has a Memory

Chapter 2

Hot water ran over my shoulders, releasing all existing tension in my muscles. Alicia had been questioning the hell out of me since I walked through the door, but frankly none of the questions had been relevant to my whereabouts-because she already knew where I would be-and she had mainly been asking about Tamsyn's state.

Honestly, I was pretty sure my sister was more concerned about what condition Tamsyn was in than Tamsyn herself. Alicia was forever asking whether Tamsyn needed anything done, whether she needed anything to eat or drink, and every other smothering question that you could possibly think of. And it got to the point where I wanted to call one of the nurses for security because my sister's questions were excruciating to listen to.

She was the one thing that brought tension and headaches into my life.

But then again, my mother was just as bad as Alicia. Neither of them would give me a break-Micah, I hope you're eating. Micah, make sure Tamsyn is eating. Micah, are you okay? Micah, do you need anything? Micah, is everything fine? I was beginning to hate the sound of my own name.

I was very nearly tempted to change it.

But that was the least of my problems.

Everything in the last four months had led to a shitload of exhaustion-the girl I loved was stuck in a sanitary prison, my family was dragging me down with their constant worrying, and I missed the old days. I was always missing the old days.

Who knew life could become one of the biggest hardships in only a matter of a few months?

A knock rapt against the bathroom door. "Micah," Alicia called through the panel of wood.

The tension began to crawl back into my shoulders again.

This is not what I need right now. I sighed, letting my head fall back. The stream of water rained across my face. "What?" It was almost like when I thought I could catch a break, it was still just out of reach.

Alicia's high voice rang through the six-foot panel. "Your phone. It's Tam. She wants to talk to you," she called.

And then there were moments where I could build up enough momentum to catch the break again.

A smile found my lips and stole the tension. It was moments like these when I thought that we were back in the old times again, when Tam was just my girlfriend-without a tumour-and I was just Micah, without the stress. I cherished them like a child would a dog.

I shut off the stream, reaching for my towel on the rack and fastening it around my waist, before flinging the door wide.

Alicia stood there, holding the phone out, dressed in a long black skirt and a crop-top. I took the phone and slammed the door shut in my sister's face, not giving her any time to say anything else. "Hey, baby," I said as I pressed the phone to my ear.

"You got caught again?" she said, her voice raspy and soft in my ear. "I thought I told you to set your alarm!" Her voice rose a little, sounding a little like it used to-mocking and healthy-before falling back to the breathy voice that she had when she answered; the one that I was now used to.

"I didn't want to wake you," I said with a grin, watching as droplets sluiced down my forearm.

"Ha," she snorted. "That's funny, baby. I'm on so many drugs of a night-time that I'm pretty sure I won't wake up to anything until well after eight o'clock, at least."

That wasn't true. For the last few nights I'd been staying there, she had woken up several times and still be asleep. She would have entire conversations with me and not realize because she would still be sleeping in her own mind.