Page 32 of Please Remember

"Yeah, but you wouldn't like it," Benji says. "I'll see you later, Jax."

He leaves as Sage shakes her head and says, "I doubt I would."

"Yeah, you really wouldn't," I say, guilt washing over me again.

Waiting for Benji's car to leave, Sage looks around. "I'm guessing you didn't have boy talk with Allie around. Are you still giving her time before bringing the boys around? And your family?"

I nod. "Yeah, she's still pretty overwhelmed with everything. Last night she was in a panic about the dark. I'm not complaining though because it meant she slept with me."

"Sleptwith you?" she asks, her protective best friend face firmly in place.

"Just sleep. Said she needed a reminder that she wasn't back there. The hospital wasn't as dark as it gets around here, and she didn't even have a window wherever she was. Told the detectives today that she finally got to see the sun. Which makes me sick."

Sage’s face slips, and she swallows. "Where is Allie?"

"The detectives came to get her a while ago. They've taken her to look at houses to see if she recognizes the one that she ran away from," I say.

Her eyes widen. "Do you think they'll find it?"

"No," Allie says, walking in behind her. "Who left as we pulled up?"

"Benji," I say. "He asked how things were going, and when I said you were with the detectives, he stopped by to check on me. And you, but we know you're not quite ready to meet everyone yet."

She sighs and leans against the wall. "It was a bust. Parsons flat out said he thought I was making the whole thing up, and that you and I are in this together, Jax. That we're pulling one elaborate scheme."

"He what?" I ask. When I look outside, the detectives are gone. "I'll take care of it."

"No, I already did. It helped that I made him feel like an idiot. Might've said he sucks at his job if you and I can get away with him never finding anything for seven years. That kind of hurt his ego enough. He even apologized and admitted he was wrong. Said he believes me now."

Sage smiles. "That's our girl."

"We weren't in the right area. It was developed, and I was in a cellar, I think. None of those houses fit the bill. God, I’m not sure I helped at all."

"I'm sure you did. They know where you weren't. That's something they didn't have before," Sage says.

I nod in agreement. "At least it narrows it down some."

"Yes, but I don't know how long I was running for. Or how far. The wooded area spans thirty miles or something, and depending how I weaved and zig-zagged, there are many different routes to get to where I ended up. I feel like a failure."

Sage pulls her into her arms, and Allie hugs her willingly, making me feel a bit of jealousy. She wouldn't be quite as receptive to me doing the same thing.

"You have been free for not even a full three days, Allie, and you don't remember anything. If the detectives thought it would be that easy, they really do suck at their jobs. Now, we're going to go out for a bit," she says.

I step forward. "What?"

"I made an appointment to get Allie's hair done. When she gets her memory back, she’ll kill me if I let her keep her hair like this."

"But all the people," Allie says, her voice shaking.

Just as I'm about to agree, Sage holds a hand up. "They’ve cleared the books for your appointment. We'll be in and out before anyone else even knows we were there. I've already talked to the cop outside, so he'll help keep people away if anyone does see us."

Of course, she'd think ahead like that. Sage always says Allie was her girlfriend before she was mine. And that girl would kill to protect her.

"It is kind of gross, I suppose," Allie says, flicking an errant lock of hair off her shoulder. "What do you think, Jax?"

"I think you should go. Maybe looking more like you're used to will help. If anything, getting your hair washed by someone else is always relaxing," I say, remembering what Allie used to tell me without telling her it's a memory.

"Okay," she says and forces a smile. "Let's go make me pretty."

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