Invisible

Chapter 54 Fly Away

He won't respond to my texts, and he won't take my calls. The brief moments of memory that break through seemed to diminish with the distance between us. I've been combing over the journal for the past 2 weeks and crying every time I read the last entry. How could I ever think myself weak when I went through what I did?

Absentmindedly I stick my hand inside the collar of my shirt and brush my hand over the pucker of skin in my left shoulder blade. The first time I felt the healed wound I couldn't wrap my mind around the fact that I was shot.

I gasp as a sliver of a thought jumps through my mind. A soft kiss placed right over the spot, water laps around us as Hunter holds me close. Nearby, Blake and Gordi scream and slash each other.

"Hunter stop it!" I giggle.

"This scar just marks one more reason why I love you." He smiles, looking into my eyes.

"Stop! And let me go!" I laugh and struggle against him but not wholeheartedly.

"I have no plans to let you go," he leans in and whispers in my ear, "I picked you and I'm going to keep you."

My knees jerk up and the desk connects with my legs, causing me to wince as flesh gives way to wood, the chair tips backwards and crashes to the floor. That memory hurt, it left me short of breath and even madder than before.

"Everything okay?!" Tiffany's feet drumming up the stairs and questioning cry barely register over the blood drumming in my ears. She knocks and walks right in, one fist still on the door.

"Yeah. I'm fine, just clumsy." I bend over and retrieve the chair, setting it upright.

"Anything?"

I look up to find Tiffany's eyes darting between me and the journal sitting open on my desk. "No." I haven't told anyone about the flashbacks because I can't tell if they are real or if I'm going crazy. The only person who could tell me for sure is Hunter, but I'm not sure what he would think of me asking him about this.

"Okay." She looks sad for a second before moving on, "we won't be gone long, but just in case don't wait up for us."

I nod, relieved. I've been under close supervision since I woke up and frankly I'm sick of it. Tonight though, they need to meet up with her parents for dinner and drinks and Al and Maggie have the kids at the hospital. Apparently, Gordi has epilepsy and needed an overnight. Poor guy, he's so sweet. "I won't, have fun." I try to mask the excited smile with a warm and friendly one, it's been taxing meeting and learning people for a second time and I know it can't be easy for them.

Once I hear the garage door close I dart across my room and pull out another notebook hidden under my record player. I walk back to the desk and sit, spreading the new book over the old one. I have a moment of peace to collect my thoughts.

'It has been a month since I woke up. I know I said I don't want to remember but I'm lying to myself. Little flecks of my old life are trying to get through and I don't know if it scares me or makes me happy. Remembering things that you didn't put there make it feel like the first time it's happening and it's hard when it involves people you don't know anymore. Do you know what I mean?'

I pause, moments with Hunter imprinted in my brain but they only come from flashbacks, when he holds me close it feels like a stranger has me in his arms, it's unsettling... And yet...

'Leah was lucky. I am Leah and so that sounds confusing but I don't feel like her. I feel like Leanne, 16 and starting to figure everything out for the first time. The only thing I don't understand is this confidence. I wasn't confident then and I can't find confidence in the old Leah, I feel like if I could find it I might be able to unlock her somehow. I know I wouldn't be gone, just added and so I shouldn't be afraid of that. I shouldn't-'