“Got it. See ya, sweets!”
“That was the most incredible food I’ve ever eaten.” Rebecca patted her belly, sure that if she tried to put one more morsel in her mouth, she’d explode. She wasn’t lying. The food at Ellie’s Diner was to die for! Was that the silver lining of having amnesia? The ability to have that ‘first impression’ once again? Would she remember this when — or if— she regained her memory?
Rebecca was beginning to feel the same way about her time with Cass, too. She couldn’t remember how or where they met. Hell, she couldn’t remember how she felt when they went out on their first date. Had she felt the same butterflies in her belly? The same thrill when Cass touched her? She must have. This was simply another chance to feel all of that again. It was the only good thing Rebecca could attribute to this god-awful amnesia shit. The one thing she could hold onto when her hope started to wane. Or when the headaches began to creep in and ruin her day.
“Your head hurt?” Cass asked softly.
“A little.”
“Do you want me to take you home?”
Rebecca looked up at Cass, touched by the genuine concern in her eyes. “No, you promised me a walk. And after everything I just ate, I need it,” she grinned.
Cass nodded with a smile. “You’re right. But hey, I have some of your meds,” she patted her pocket. “You tell me if you need them, yeah?”
“You’re going to trust me?” Rebecca squinted her eyes suspiciously. Obviously, Aunt Wills gave Cass the medication because she didn’t trust Rebecca to take them if needed.
Cass shrugged. “Why wouldn’t I? You know what you’re feeling better than I do. I also know you hate taking medication, so you’ll wait until the pain is unbearable. Just do me a favor, Becca, please? Don’t let it get unbearable. And don’t let me keep you out if you’re not up for it. Trust me enough to take care of you when you need it.”
Rebecca couldn’t resist touching Cass on the arm. “You are very sweet. And whatever my memory is or isn’t, I do trust you. I think I have since the moment you showed up at my aunt’s house.”
Pride swelled in Cass’s heart. That meant a lot, and it renewed her hope that Rebecca would remember her. She had to. “Good.” Cass jutted her elbow out and waited for Rebecca to slip her hand through the crook of her arm. “Are you up for a couple of stops?”
Rebecca inhaled deeply, willing the headache to subside. She didn’t want to take any medicine- not now. The pills made her sleepy, and she wanted more time with Cass.
“Are we going to see more people I should know?”
Cass glanced at Blaise’s flower shop. Before they left the diner, Ellie ‘casually’ suggested they stop by next door, insisting Rebecca would love the flowers. Ellie wasn’t wrong. Rebecca always loved the beautiful bouquets Blaise created. But if Rebecca wasn’t up for seeing anyone, Cass had no choice but to skip it.
“Probably,” Cass answered truthfully. “If you would rather not…”
“No, it’s okay. Do they all know about…” Rebecca swirled her hands around her head.
“Yeah. They were there during your surgery. And when Hunter… Dr. Vale told me about the amnesia.”
Rebecca loved how Cass didn’t hesitate to tell her the truth. “So when Ellie said we were all very close, how many is all?”
“Uh.” Cass closed one eye in concentration, counting her fingers as she muttered names to herself.
“That many!” It was difficult for Rebecca to comprehend having so many friends.
“Well, our group is growing, but our core… is about seven strong. Then we get into the kids, the strays, and the occasional supermodels…”
Rebecca’s eyebrows shot up to her hairline. “Supermodels?” She shook her head and took another breath. “Okay, let’s tackle one thing at a time. Knight in Bloom, that’s where Ellie said to go?”
“Yep. That’s Blaise’s place.”
“One of our ‘core,’ as you called it?”
Cass nodded. “She’s Ellie’s bff. They started the whole girls’ night thing.”
“Girls’ night,” Rebecca repeated. That was probably something else she should know, but nothing came to her. It was another thing she never imagined herself doing. Girls’ night with a bunch of other women? Samantha would never allow that.
“Sorry, I’m bombarding you with information.” Cass could kick herself for going too fast with the info. Rebecca already had a headache, and Cass was just making it worse. She was about to suggest taking Rebecca home again when Rebecca chuckled.
“It’s not too much information, Cass. It’s more of what the information is. I’ve never had friends before, so this is all very… odd.” She tugged on Cass’s arm. “Come on. Let’s go meet Blaise.”
“Do all the places smell this heavenly in this strip?”