Replay: Amnesia | BOOK 1

Chapter 6

"Everything's deleted," you say out loud in awe, Chris taking the phone from you in disbelief.

"What?" he enters and exits various apps, looks in the settings, et cetera, but finds nothing. Everything has disappeared. Your only lifeline to the past you can't remember.

You stare at the phone in disbelief, chest tight, knees weak. You're trembling.

"Are you okay?" Chris asks gently, his own voice wavering. "You look like you're gonna pass out."

You look up at him, swallowing hard. "Yeah... I..."

You find a deluge of tears waiting to rush from your eyes and you shut them tight, your body tensing as you force them to stay where they are. You breathe, telling yourself you aren't going to cry. You can't cry. You can't...

"Hey," you hear. Chris's gentle voice reaches you and your mask cracks slightly as you feel his arms wrap around your shoulders. He pulls you in and you open your eyes in shock, heart pounding inside your chest. "It's okay. You'll get your memories back without that stuff. Karika got hers back, so you don't need to worry."

Your breath is shaky but you refuse to budge. If you loosen even one muscle, you might explode. Overwhelmed, you stay rigid. You will not cry.

"Cora." Chris pulls away and places his fingers under your chin, forcing you to look at him. His hazel eyes reach deep into yours and you feel your walls start to crumble. "It's okay to cry."

You shake your head, your chin coming loose.

"I can't cry." Your voice is trembling. "I can't—"

You clasp your mouth with your hand, holding in the sob, but it escapes through the cracks in your fingers and the first fat tear falls from your lashes. At it, Chris pulls you into his arms once more, the phone still in his possession. He sets it on the counter next to you two and continues to pull you close until you relax and clutch his shirt. A few more sobs sneak out and you can't fight the helplessness clawing at your insides. Your best shot at remembering who you are is now gone.

You finally sigh, leaning into your new friend. He strokes your hair gently, keeping silent. It's comforting, the quietness of him.

"What if I never get my memories back?" You whisper to no one, shocked at how open you've become within the past few hours with this boy, this man.

Chris's hand stops mid-stroke and you feel him thinking for a moment before he pulls back, his face so close to yours. It makes your heart flutter, making the weight of the moment lighten slightly.

"You will," he says definitely, staring into your eyes. "I have no doubt you will."

You take a deep breath in and look away, his thumb brushing away a stray tear off your cheek. The way he's staring at you... it almost makes you forget you're in the middle of a strange predicament. Almost. You nearly wish you could curl up here forever, letting him hold you until you feel like you can walk on your own again. You Know and the information on the phone felt like the crutches for your broken memories, but now that they've vanished... you're freefalling with no parachute.

You lean into his hand and pull yourself close again, hearing him breathe in slightly in shock. You can't vocalize it, but... you don't want him to let you go just yet. He feels like something strong to lean against, something that can help you walk through this foggy maze you've stepped into. Just for now... Hold on to me.

Without a word, it's like he understands. For a while, the two of you stand there, embracing until the shadows grow long through the windows and the sun disappears. You finally pull away, wiping your eyes, and take a step back.