“And you!” Ren turns her attention on me. Good, it’s me she should be focused on. “How could you do this to Abri? You loved Abri. I saw it the night our parents died.”
It’s like a ghost returned at that moment. A past none of us realized we were hiding from each other. The one thing none of us have spoken about because we weren’t ready to share. It’s also the one thing that can set me free.
Mila steps out, away from my grasp. “Wait? You were there?”
“I can explain.”
“No, you told me you’ve never met Ren.”
“I haven’t.”
Mila looks to Ren who clearly disagrees with my statement.
“I never spoke to Ren. I might have seen her at the hospital when I was there to support Abri who was supporting Ren in her loss, but I never spoke to Ren, and I don’t remember her. Trust me, Ren is someone I would remember.”
“Did you meet me?” Mila asks. All of her fury now focused on me instead of her sister.
I can’t lie. I promised I would never lie. She never asked me before, which is the only reason I didn’t have to tell her.
“Yes.”
Mila’s eyes drop in disappointment.
“Let me explain.”
Mila’s eyes slowly drift back to mine with wide eyes.
I don’t wait for her to give me permission to explain, I just start talking.
“We talked for only a moment. And I didn’t realize I had met you before until—”
The doorbell rings, stopping my thoughts.
Ren’s kids start yelling.
The world doesn’t stop just because I want it to.
“I need to make sure the kids haven’t killed each other. Answer the door, Mila. It’s probably Henry. I told him to get his ass here as soon as I realized who Knight was. He’s no knight. He’s Ace the asshole.”
Ren leaves Mila and me alone in the kitchen.
I try again. “I didn’t realize I had met you until—”
Mila ignores me and walks to the front door. She opens it, and I expect to see her brother. Instead, Abri is standing in the doorway looking smug and gorgeous in a black dress.
I didn’t realize I had met Mila until I kissed her in the hospital.
Mila turns with a glare in her eye. “I’ll leave you and your wife to talk.”
Shit, now I’m fucked.
17
Mila
I lock myself in my childhood bedroom. I’m not speaking to Knight or Ren or anyone until I remember. If I’m going to have a chance to recall it, this is the best place to try. Where the darkness started.
I need to remember that night in order to have a shot at figuring out how I feel about Knight.
I sit cross-legged on the center of my bed. A bed Knight became my whole world in. And today, he became my nightmare.
I push Knight out of my head as I close my eyes. Tears have been staining my cheeks since I realized Knight knew me before. He knew me five years ago, and although he never lied, he refused to tell me the truth.
I wipe the tears on the back of my hand, keeping my eyes closed. Remember I plead with myself, please remember.
“NO!” I scream. My screams mean nothing though. My voice isn’t loud enough to stop it from happening.
“Nasser, please,” I beg for him. But it doesn’t stop.
I see the bright lights shining at me, almost blinding me. I’m flying. Or falling. I can’t tell the difference.
I scream, or maybe it’s someone else. Or maybe it’s both.
Beeping from the machine next to me as I’m lying completely broken. Pain is consuming me. Pulling me into a dark hole, I’ll never be able to escape.
“This is your fault, Mila. All of this is your fault. I will never be able to forgive you,” Ren’s voice says over and over.
I open my eyes as I shake on the bed. No memories of Knight flooded my head. I don’t remember Abri visiting me. I don’t remember anything except the pain of what happened, and the guilt of what I caused.
I could ask Ren to remind me of all the details. Or as many as she remembers, but her story would be confounded with her own pain.
Knight.
He’s the only one who can tell me the truth. What he remembers. How we met. Nothing else from that dark day matters, just how Knight and I met.
Once I know his truth, then I can decide what my next move is. If we can still date after this. If I can still work for him. If we can have any