Page 86 of Amnesia

But then they called out again.

I twisted around, nearly stumbling while jumping to my feet. Amnesia was running across the yard, the back door of the house flapping in the wind, not latched from where she’d burst through.

“Am!” I yelled and started running.

She came back.

Amnesia tripped and fell, her knees taking the brunt of her tumble. I called out again, surging forward, but she pushed up and kept rushing forward as if she hadn’t fallen at all.

When she was close enough, I snatched her out of the wind and pulled her against me. She went lax for only a second before stiffening and pulling away.

“Am, I’m so sorry. I—”

“I remembered something, Eddie,” she rushed out over what I was trying to say.

I blinked, her words registering. “You remembered?” I whispered, my stomach free-falling toward my knees.

“It was…” She instantly choked up, her face falling.

Taking a chance, I reached out and tipped her chin up so I could look into her face. She didn’t pull away, but I saw she wasn’t totally present. Amnesia was lost in whatever memory filled her mind.

“It was horrible,” she confided, tears filling her eyes and instantly spilling over. “Maggie wanted me to tell her. She tried to make me stay and talk…” Her breath hitched.

I resisted the urge to pull her into my arms.

Wide, brown eyes met mine. “I wanted you.”

“I’m here,” I said, giving in and wrapping my arms around her shoulders. Her face burrowed into my shirt, and her shoulders shook. “I’m here.”

I didn’t say anything more, just turned our bodies so my back was blocking the wind coming off the water, shielding her from the worst of it.

After long moments, she pushed off my chest, wiped her face, and looked up. Her hair was damp.

I frowned. “Let’s go inside. It’s cold.”

She shook her head adamantly. “No. I want to be outside. It’s less claustrophobic.”

“Am, what did you remember?” I asked, afraid to even know.

“I remembered my name, Eddie.”

Like an eagle zeroing in on prey, I felt my gaze sharpen. “What?”

“I told Maggie,” she explained. “And she started sobbing.”

Without thinking, I snatched her by the shoulders, shaking her a little. “What’s your name, Am?”

“Sadie,” she whispered. “It was Sadie.”

My hands fell away. I stumbled backward. “No.” I shook my head. “No, it can’t be.”

“Yes,” Amnesia came forward as if stalking me. “I remember.” She shuddered. “It was horrible.”

I knew it. Hadn’t I known it? Everyone said I was crazy, that it was just wishful thinking. Hell, even I had come to terms with it.

But how else could this be explained? It fit. She fit.

“Sadie,” I murmured, my eyes raking over her anew. Emotion so thick welled up inside me it stole my breath. “Holy fuck.”

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