Forgotten Memories

Chapter 14: The Letter

-Rue-

"She can't be gone!"

He rakes his hand through his hair. "What about last night? I need to apologize to her."

I frown. "Last night? What happened last night?"

His gaze falls to the ground, and he mutters a curse under his breath. "Nothing important."

He looks at something behind me and scowls. "Who called him?"

I turn and see Daniel walking this way, with Hope.

"I did. Why?" I ask, turning back around.

He shakes his head. "I'm going inside. Call me when he's gone."

He heads inside and Hope frowns. "What's wrong with-oh. Never mind."

I sigh, exasperated. "Am I the only one who doesn't know what the hell happened?" I look up at Daniel and frown. "Yikes. What happened to your face?"

Daniel's expression darkens. "You don't need to know."

Hope winces. "Actually, you don't want to know."

I throw my hands in the air. "But I do! I have no idea what happened and Aria's gone, and-"

Daniel's eyes widen. "Aria's what?"

Suddenly, we hear a shout and a loud crash coming from inside. Hope gasps, then runs inside after Luke.

••••••••••

-Luke-

"No, damn it, she's not gone!"

Crash. Another portrait falls and shatters. I kick the remains aside and pick the next one off the wall. It's the one we took at Schlitterbahn, where Aria was trying to get me to put her down right before we toppled into the pool.

I threw it on the ground and flinched as it shattered. I kicked it aside too and was about to reach for another, when I felt someone grab my arm.

"Luke! Stop, please."

I wince at the contact, but drop my hand.

"Luke, please tell me what's wrong."

I turn around angrily. "What's wrong? Well, I don't know, maybe the fact that Aria is missing! And you don't even give a care in the world about her."

She scoffs. "You don't think I care? I was sleeping in this house when she left. I saw her slam the door and take off, and couldn't stop her. Now it's eating me inside. I was the one who convinced Rue of calling you in the first place, and I was the one who drove to Daniel's house to tell him because he wouldn't answer his phone. Does it seem like I care, or do you still doubt me? And my question wasn't What's bothering you? it was What's wrong with you?" She shakes her head. "Jerk."

I close my eyes. "You wanna know what's wrong with me? My best friend ran away from home, from me, and I couldn't even stop her. She's out there because of me. The day she lost her memory, the reason she wants to talk to Mark, I was stuck in a van, helpless, while she was almost killed in a coffee shop across the street. That day, she saved my life and my little sister's, then convinced me I had been the hero instead. All I've done since then is hurt her. I practically tore her heart apart twice, then beat Daniel up in front of her. That's what's wrong with me. Now, all I have left of her is this."

I hold up the letter I had just found in her room. She looks at me expectantly, and I give it to her. She reaches for it and reads it aloud.

"Dear Luke,