Bitter Kisses (It's Just High School #3) - Thandiwe Mpofu Page 0,88
blunt force trauma to the head. Patient has been hit over the head before and suffered amnesia. Conclusion: it was fucking possible.
So, just like the devious bitch I am, I grabbed the opportunity with both hands.
And now here I am, faking amnesia, hoping to God I can keep this charade up until everyone I care about is safe and Nathan goes down.
I couldn’t stand to look at Julian. One more glance, one more second and I was sure that piercing gaze was going to shred me to pieces, and I’d confess my darkest sins in a breath.
I had to look away, but even in my worst moment, he came closer to me, not giving a damn if I remember him or not and I don’t know what to do with that.
At another time before this, I would’ve swooned. I swear my stomach would’ve been full of butterflies, but no, not this time. Instead, when he encouraged me to face my demons, all I wanted to do was bawl my eyes out.
For both of us.
For the hell we’re being put through.
For the unfairness of it.
For the fact that he came for me…
But now is not the time for falling apart. Not yet.
I have so many questions. Like what happened after I got shot?
Where are Kristine and the baby?
And what’s going to happen to Nathan after the show I put on, aided by Nicky? Was all that enough to lock him away forever?
I have to ask, but first, I need to act my heart out.
The doctors have asked me a gazillion questions about what I remember, who I know, what I think is happening. They’ve asked me everything short of my fucking name.
It was hard answering without the hint of knowledge in my mannerisms. When they asked if I can recall even the slightest thing of what happened to me, I had to force stop my body’s natural, almost violent physical reaction from the remembered trauma. I had to bite my tongue and focus on something else and tell them no.
I met Julian when I was a few months shy of fourteen years old, a week before I was to start high school, so in order to protect him and keep up my act of not knowing him, I had to dive back to a time when I didn’t know that a single kiss could mess up my life this much, or that an angry boy punching walls would be the one to make me feel everything.
It was a good plan, fucking spectacular if I do say so myself, but as I sat there, my mind racing, blurry memories started coming to me of that time.
It didn’t take long for the buried pain of my childhood to start poking out it’s ugliness.
Everything I said is true.
Nathan did beat up Nancy and Nicky, especially when he came home drunk. I just hadn’t remembered the extent of his cruelty until just now, my only objective being to make him suffer and pay for what he did.
I remember some really scary men coming to the house, banging on the door, demanding for what they were owed.
I remember the way he offered me to them.
I rem night he dragged me out of bed, and presented me to the strange, scary men.
I remember it all. I just chose to bury it and focus on Nancy.
The only spice in that tale was when I mentioned about Nathan locking up Nancy and Nicky. I just wanted to pile it up on my piece of shit father. I know it’s wrong but to be fair, the guy does look like he can do it.
I’m not sure if the charges of abuse can stick, but trafficking? We’ll just have to wait and see. In the meantime, I need to come up with a plan B if things go south. With my luck, it’s bound to happen.
I can see the detectives standing in the hallway right outside my hospital room, occasionally peering in as they talk to my team of doctors. All of them said the same thing. Retrograde amnesia.
Someone needs to call the Academy.
“Hey, honey,” Nicky says tentatively, as she walks back into the room. I suck in a breath. Back into character I go.
“Hey,” I mumble.
One of the downsides about my acting dumb is I did my job too well and now Nicky is back to walking on eggshells with me all over again when I want to talk to her so bad.