The Amnesiac

Growing Doubts

You take a deep, shaky breath, trying to convince yourself everything was ok.

Rae must know. She must, right?

Well, time to find out...

You nervously make your way downstairs.

"Rae?"

You look around, but she's nowhere to be seen.

Did she go outside?

Your cheeks turn red.

That means... ahhhh, fuck. Aria was really loud, wasn't she? I think I'm to blame for that...

You step outside, seeing Rae chewing her lip while scrolling on her phone.

"Ah!" She looks up, hearing the door opening behind her.

"Wow, you're all messy... how rough did you get with her?" She giggles. "But seriously, did you remember anything?" She asks, reaching up to brush your disheveled hair back into order.

"Um..." You look down at your feet, momentarily putting aside her flippant attitude toward the fact that you had just fucked her close friend. "I did."

"Hey," she picks your chin up, sensing your anxiety. "Was it something bad?"

"I don't know. It depends on whether Aria told me the truth or not."

Her brows furrow as she tries to seek out an answer from the mix of emotions on your face.

"What was it?"

"I remembered kissing her. After our trip to the amusement park. Aria said that we were together back then, that it was a long time ago... but it feels recent. I just can't tell - I'm missing too many memories to know when it happened."

A flurry of expressions pass over Rae's face, but disappear before you can fully process them. She sandwiches your hand between her own and squeezes, as you had recently remembered she often did when she was feeling nervous. She turns away from you, staring out at the bushes ahead.

"Listen..." She cautiously starts. "What exactly do you remember?"

"Just bits and pieces of that one day. We went to the amusement park, went on some rides, picnicked, and kissed. It felt like... a date."

"...ok..." She slowly nods.

"So? Did I... cheat on you?" You nearly flinch as you ask.

She pauses for a moment, gripping your hand tightly and hugging your arm to her body.

"No. You didn't."

Your posture sags, and you lean into her shoulder, letting out a long sigh of relief.

"Ok. So... I dated her, then. Ohhh, did I meet you through her?" You gasp. "Or maybe I already knew our friend group, and I started dating her? But then we broke up, and I ended up dating you?" You throw out some possibilities.

"..."

She stares out into space, her mind visibly churning.

"Rae? You ok?"

"Yeah, yeah..." She snaps back to attention. "Come on, let's go back in. We might have to clean the bedsheets."

"Wait, Rae!" You grip her hand as she tries to walk back in. "You don't look well."

"Huh? I'm fine!"

"You still look nervous. Something's wrong," you complain.

"Baby, I'm fine..." She sighs, suddenly seeming very tired.