Payback's A Nightmare | ✔

CHAPTER THE FIFTH

Evelina wasn't sure if she wanted to face her parents.

After the memory that had flashed into her mind when she was unconscious, a flood of images had been triggered, and now she realised that there was more to Sophie and Fitz's past than she had initially thought.

What more secrets were her parents hiding? How dare they wash her memories just like that?

Was Fitz like that to his son too? Did he hide things from him too? And so, what would that mean?

Evelina and Fitz's son had been living a lie all this time?

She didn't know who Fitz's son was-or she couldn't remember-probably the latter. Her head felt like it had been mashed to a bloody pulp, and her mind felt deprived of memories that she should have known.

Her mind flashed back to the two boys who had randomly appeared when she awoke. What were their names again? Oh, yeah, right-Ailill. And Brennus, also known as The Greatest Jerkface of All Time. She couldn't believe his nerve.

Evelina snapped out of her reverie when pounding footsteps drew her out to reality. Two blonde-headed elves ran to her side. Her parents. Sophie and Keefe.

"Evelina!" Sophie cried. She sat down on Evelina's bed. "Are you alright? I've been so worried about you. Elwin said you lost part of your memory and didn't even remember what your name was . . . Do you remember now?"

"I don't," Evelina said. "But I've been told so."

Sophie frowned. She seemed like she wanted to say some more, but Keefe interrupted her and said, "I'm just glad you're feeling okay, Lina."

"Lina," Evelina mused. "Is that a nickname for me? Evelina?"

"Yup," Keefe grinned so wide that his ends of his mouth almost reached his ears. "Awesome, right?"

"I guess so." She wasn't too sure what they were trying to talk about. But she didn't care-she had one topic she wanted to focus on.

"Mum," said Evelina, turning to Sophie.

She needed to learn more, and this was the perfect opportunity to talk casually about it.

Evelina thought she saw Sophie gulp slightly as she answered, "Yeah?"

Her wide brown eyes seemed more surreal up close.

That said, had she ever been so close to her mum before?

The thought hurt her. Deep.

"Why did you wash my memories?"

Sophie exchanged a nervous look with Keefe that seemed to say, she knows. What do we do now?

Keefe shrugged and gave her a nonchalant look that seemed to say, who cares? Just tell her the damn truth!

Sophie sighed and pursed her lips. "Fine. We washed your memories because you've observed something that you shouldn't have observed. I'd love to tell you more, but-"

"Actually, you don't have to," interrupted Evelina, feeling the anger rise up in her stomach. "I remember. Every. Single. Thing. Is it really so awesome to hide your romantic past from your own daughter? You have to get over jerkface's father. Don't you see you're not being true to Dad and me by doing this?"

"Evelina," Keefe started but Evelina held out a hand.

"Dad, you know we deserve to hear something true come out of Mum's mouth eventually," she said, staring at a terrified and taken aback Sophie. "Why does she need to hide her and Fitz Vacker's past together? The past is the past-she should be over it."