Missing Pieces

5

The meeting went relatively quick. At the end of it, I felt a little better about starting school next week. If I truly had the choice, I still wouldn't have gone, but it was better if I accepted it sooner than later.

After it was over, Ezra dropped me off at home, but didn't come inside. He claimed he had some work to do, so I left it at that.

The house was silent when I entered, and I hadn't seen any cars outside which told me that I was home alone. Feeling content with that, I made my way up to my room, deciding I'd use some of the free time I had to organize my room the way I wanted.

I was halfway through my closet and shuffling through all my clothes when the doorbell rang. Frowning, I jumped off the chair I'd been using to reach the topmost shelves and turned off the music coming from the speakers. I paused for a moment, listening to see if someone was actually at the door or if I'd heard something in the song that had sounded similar.

When the doorbell rang again, I made my way downstairs. I peeked through the window near the door first, freezing when I recognized the person standing on the front porch from one of the pictures framed in my room.

It was Sage.

I didn't waste a second, my heart jumping to my throat as I twisted open the door.

She had her eyes fixated at some point on the floor as she waited, but they whipped up to meet mine. A myriad of emotions flashed through her honey brown gaze—shock, disbelief, fear, relief.

I was just about to speak when she stepped forward and took me by surprise as her arms wrapped around me. Her grip was almost crushing, as if she couldn't comprehend that I was here—standing right in front of her.

"You're okay," she whispered against my shoulder, hugging me like her life depended on it.

Recovering, I lifted my arms up and embraced her back, swallowing hard as I stared off into the distance behind her. It took a moment for me to become comfortable, but the relief that overcame me as I realized her embrace didn't feel completely unfamiliar was immediate.

Maybe I couldn't remember who she had been to me without being told, but my body could. And right now it was telling me that I was safe with her.

Sage pulled away, her gaze glossy as she scanned my face. My expression must've not been what she'd been expecting because she quickly stepped back. "I'm so sorry, I forgot you don't— " she broke off, her throat bobbing visibly.

"Remember?" I finished for her, smiling slightly. "It's okay, you can say it."

She blinked, her eyes jumping between both of mine for a moment before a hesitant smile pulled at the corners of her lips. "Yeah," she laughed softly and then hesitated. "So, you do know who I am or..."

"Sage," I answered quietly. "I know we're friends."

She nodded, tucking her hands into the pockets of her sweatshirt. My gaze scanned her face, lingering on the bandage lining the corner of her temple.

I pointed to it. "Is that from the accident?"

She froze, confusion flickering across her face before she realized what I was referring to. Her hand jumped to her head as she absentmindedly grazed the sight of the covered wound. "Oh, that," she murmured, exhaling. "Yeah. It's mostly healed, but I hate the way people's eyes go straight to it when they're talking to me so I'm keeping it covered for a while."

I nodded and she studied me for another moment before speaking again, her voice turning soft.

"I'm sorry I couldn't stop by earlier," she said quietly. "I visited you at the hospital, but my mom told me you don't remember any of that either."