Olivia's POV
"Good morning," I greet Ramona as I enter the café.
I hold the door open for a moment longer and only then close it. As promised, Samuel is right beside me despite it not being his scheduled time with me.
"Morning," Ramona says from where she's standing behind the counter. "What did you do?"
"What?" I stop halfway on my way to the staff room and turn to face her. "What makes you think I did something?"
"The cop's son." Ramona nods in the direction of the front entrance. "He was waiting here this morning. He asked—no, he ordered me to keep an eye on you."
"She has me," Samuel huffs and sits on the opposite side of the counter from Ramona. "She doesn't need anyone else."
"Don't mind Nick." I ignore Samuel and keep my eyes focused on Ramona. "He's just being paranoid."
Without another word, I head to the staff room, where I grab an apron and leave the rest of my belongings. When I come back out both Samuel and Ramona are still on the same spot as before, so I sit onto the stool beside Samuel.
"Do you need any help?" I ask Ramona, who is making sure we have enough coffee and pastries.
"Just stay where you are and answer my questions." Ramona pushes her thick glasses up her nose. "What did you do that has the boy so worried?"
"It's probably because of last night." I prop my elbows on the counter and rest my chin on my hands. "Someone pushed me onto the road, so he must be worried it'll happen again."
"It's not." Samuel shakes his head. "I'm not letting anyone—"
"I don't think that's what he meant," Ramona interrupts Samuel. "He specifically told me not to let you go anywhere near an intersection until he returns."
"As if either of you could stop me," I scoff.
"They might not, but I am." Samuel turns to face me. "You're not going anywhere near there."
"Ugh!" I drop my forehead onto the counter and groan into the wooden top. "Why is everyone being such a pain? Can't you all see that I'm doing my best to recover my missing memories? Instead of trying to stop me, everyone should be cheering me on."
"How exactly are you trying to achieve that?" Ramona asks.
While continuing to keep my face pressed against the counter I explain yesterday's idea to Ramona—how me being on the road at night could trigger my memories.
"You're wrong," Ramona says before I can even close my mouth. "What you did was more than just irresponsible."
"Not you too." I groan and lift my head back up. "Why is everyone conveniently forgetting that it worked? I remembered something about the accident."
"At what price?" Samuel asks, drawing my eyes over to him. He is leaning against the stool's back, with his arms crossed in front of his chest. "You could've been hurt or even killed if Wright hadn't stopped in time. Getting your memories back is not worth such danger."
"There's no need for you to do this." Ramona draws my eyes back over to her. "Your memories will return when you're ready and not a moment sooner."
"You're wrong. Both memories returned when I either hurt myself or was near the intersection, and not when I was 'ready' for them."
"How can you be sure?"
I stop at Ramona's words, wondering what she could be aiming at? What else could be responsible for the return of both of those memories?
Before another thought can squeeze into my already too crowded brain, I shake my head and slip off the stool. "Thinking about this is too much work. It's going to make my head hurt."
I make my way over to the front door and grab the sign saying the café is closed. Wordlessly I flip it over, so it announces that the café is now open, and then make my way behind the counter, where Ramona has already finished her morning inspection.
"I'm going to give you a piece of advice I wish somebody told me when I was your age," Ramona says, but I keep my eyes on the front door. "Liv?"
With a sigh, I turn to her. "What? Are you going to tell me to listen to my elders?"
"No." She shakes her head with a chuckle. "From now on I want you to count to three before you do anything. And in those three seconds, I want you to consider if what you're about to do is really the smartest choice."
"Listen to her." Samuel nods. "You thinking things through will benefit us all."
I glance from Samuel to Ramona and then back to Samuel. They look equally sincere, however, no matter what their opinion is I promise myself to prove to them I'm right. What I'm doing is the right way for me to recall what happened that night.
Before any of us can say anything, the little bell above the glass door shimmers to life.
"Wel—" The greeting dies on my throat when I recognize the person who enters the café.
Her high heels click-clack against the floor as she makes her way in between the empty tables. Without daring to exhale I watch her copper hair move step after step until she settles at one of the tables.
Once the Head Guardian sits at her chosen table, she ends up facing toward the counter, so I quickly snap my head in Ramona's direction.
"Can you do me a favor and take her order?" I whisper.
"It's not going to work." Ramona shakes her head and nudges me in the Head Guardian's direction. "You're the one she's here for."
With a deep inhale I make my way around the counter, where Samuel joins me. Together we then make our way over to her table.
"Welcome," I greet her. "What can I get for you?"
"I'll have an Espresso and the name of the Guardian," the Head Guardian says.
"I can get you the coffee, but you'll have to come for the name another time," I say. "You gave us three weeks and it's only been eight days. We still have more than enough time."
The Head Guardian leans against the back of her chair and flickers her eyes between Samuel and me. "The longer you keep on dragging this, the more convinced I will become that there is no other Guardian. Every hour of my time you waste will only make things more difficult for you, Samuel Yang."
"Trust me," I say before Samuel can open his mouth. "We'll find the Guardian responsible."
"Go prepare her coffee," Samuel says to me, but keeps his eyes on the Head Guardian. "I'll deal with this on my own."
I purse my lips but then head back to the counter. More and more of our regular customers enter the café, which prevents me from hearing anything Samuel and the Head Guardian are saying. That is why the second the coffee is done, I grab the small cup and skid back to their table.
"...know what I am," the Head Guardian finishes saying when I reach her table and set the Espresso in front of her.
"What are you?" I glance at Samuel, who is looking at the woman with a stone expression.
"Nothing you need to concern yourself with." The Head Guardian stands and pulls out her wallet. She sets the money for the Espresso plus a very generous tip onto the table but leaves the coffee untouched. "Give the drink and my greeting to Ramona."
Without another word, she saunters to the front door. The moment she reaches it, the glass door opens and Hugo enters the café. With an obvious once-over, he holds the door wide open for the Head Guardian and then waits until she and her clicking heels disappear down the stairs.
"Who's she?" Hugo closes the door and drags his feet over to the counter.
I grab the untouched cup and follow right behind him. "Why did the Head Guardian sound like she knows you?" I set the coffee onto the counter and turn to Ramona. "And how come she knows how you take your coffee?"
"Head what?" Hugo asks, glancing between Ramona and me.
"We've met a few times over the course of my life." Ramona ignores her grandson. "Nowadays she's the only person keeping me from believing that it was all a dream."
I open my mouth to tell her I have no idea what she's talking about when a loud crash catches my attention. In front of the table where the Head Guardian sat before now lies an overturned chair. From my position, I also catch a pair of casual black shoes and dark jeans resting beside it, but I have to lean further to the side to see who they belong to.
I rush to the table, to where Samuel is sitting on the ground beside the overturned chair. He has his hand wrapped around the chair's edge, which explains how the chair fell.
"What are you doing?" I crouch down in front of him. "I thought you said you aren't allowed to draw the attention of humans."
Samuel, however, continues to stare at me with wide-open eyes.
"What's wrong? Is it about the Head Guardian?"
"No," he whispers. "It's about the boy."
"The boy?" I glance around the café, but the only one young enough to be called a boy is Hugo. "You mean Hugo? Ramona's grandson?"
Samuel doesn't respond. Just when I conclude that he hasn't heard me, he slowly nods.
"I... I think I'm the one... The one who... killed him."
***
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-E