Help Me Remember (COMPLETED)

Chapter 22 Part 2

"What's important?" he looked away for a moment before returning his attention to me. "Ah, you mean the past?"

The way he said it showed his thoughts about important and past not really belonging in the same sentence. And to be honest, something burned within in my chest at his opinion.

We didn't see eye to eye. 

I suddenly wanted away from him. I immediately untangled myself from him and settled on the space beside him.

That he would think that way felt like a betrayal to me. "If it isn't important to you, well it is to someone like me who couldn't remember a decent thing about herself."

I froze at my own slip of the tongue. I just admitted to remembering the past. And at that moment, I feared his realization. My eyes frantically searched his. Those eyes that didn't change emotion as they watched me.

"I think you've misunderstood, Red." Zach said quietly.

I whipped my head in his direction, "Then would you care to explain?"

"I just think," he picked up my hand as if he was disappointed at the distance that I put between us, "That the past is something that's behind us. If the past takes up too much of your thoughts, if it limits your actions... if it puts the steps of your present at a standstill and prevents you from looking forward to the to the future...

Then it's not worth it."

Somehow, I knew his words had reasonable grounds but I couldn't just accept it as some infallible truth.

"We're different stories. You know your past and decided it's not so important," I argued, "but I don't even remember my past to be able to decide that."

"Are we?" he asked.

I was all the more confused, "Are we what?"

There was a shift in his expression that I didn't understand. "Are we really different stories?"

I pulled my hand back, "Stop diverting me! All I want to say is if the past isn't so important, why does everyone feel like they're hiding it from me?"

Maybe, just maybe I hit the mark. There was a resounding silence after that. Zachary only watching my face after I'd exploded. We were locked in a staring contest. Was it so much that I wished he'd give me even the smallest answer?

Something I'd realized again and again that he wouldn't give me.

Just as Zachary opened his mouth, a phone started blaring somewhere in the background. It wasn't mine so it was obvious whose call it was for. Zach didn't move an inch as he looked at me, as if he didn't hear the sudden noise or just didn't really care.

But I did. In the three weeks since the accident that I'd observed him, I knew that all the phone calls he got were work-related and immediate important concerns. And that he was ignoring it made me feel guilt on top of everything.

I broke eye-contact and looked away.

"Take that phone call," I told him, "it's from the office, isn't it?"

He didn't move and continued to ring and it frustrated me, "Just take the call! Are we going to argue about this?"

From the breast pocket of his shirt, he pulled out his phone. Still watching me, he answered it.

"Valerie."

If I said I didn't regret making him answer the call, I'd be lying. The name was enough to make my blood run cold.

Was this some sick joke? Why did it have to be her?

I watched as Zachary's face turned grave at whatever he was hearing from the other side of the line.

"Right now?" he paused, listening then looked at his watch. "I'd be there in half an hour."

I knew it was important. But was it wrong to hate the fact that he was going where she was?

When he ended the phone call, he looked up at me as if he'd just remembered I was there. That he's actually forgotten I was there because he talked to her. My hands clenched into fists on their own.

"Red..."

"I know," I said immediately, cutting off whatever excuse I was going to hear. "Just go."

I closed my eyes and looked away. I didn't want to see the hesitation in his face. I didn't want to weigh if that hesitation was legitimate or only some way to appease me.

But then I felt him stand up.

"I'll be home as soon as I can."

"Okay," I said numbly.

Picking up the suit jacket resting on the armrest of the sofa, he walked out of the house and out of my sight.

I'm assuming you guys do remember Valerie, at least even though it's been a while since I'd posted.

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