Page 58 of Please Remember

"Before Jax and I got together, we shared the loss of you. That's how we ended up bonding. And before that, before you disappeared on us, you and I were friends. Pretty good friends. We went to camp together in middle school, and we played on the volleyball team in high school. We'd laugh on field trips together at the back of the bus. You were someone I considered a close friend."

It's obvious Allie has no idea that I'm lying, but she still gives me a suspicious look. "I was told you and I had it out a couple of weeks before I was taken. Something about you sneaking a look at Jax in the shower."

Damn you, Sage."That was a misunderstanding, and we cleared it up the next day. Sage has never liked us being friends, so she probably didn't tell you that part."

When Allie sits on the couch, I know I have her locked in. "What kind of coffee did you bring?"

"Your favorite," I say, setting it on the coffee table in front of her. "White chocolate mocha."

"Oh," she says. "Jax buys me chai lattes."

"I meant your second favorite," I say, and hold back my growl. I remember how Jax would order a chai latte when we’d go out despite hating it. It was for Allie and her stupid memory. At some point, I hope to get ahead of all of these people ruining my plans of making her doubt everything she’s being told. "So, how are you holding up?"

Taking a sip, she sets it down with a disgusted face. Of course, she hates my favorite drink. "Hot. I, uh, I'm doing okay."

"I know you left the cookout with Sage because Jax was an inconsiderate jerk. He's the sweetest guy in the world, but he's also a guy. And guys can be pretty dumb sometimes."

"I don't know," she says and leans back. "I sometimes think his life would be so much easier if I'd nevercome back."

Yeah, so would mine if you'd stayed gone. Or, you know, if you'd just died."He's happy you're back, though."

"It's heartbreaking to see him knowing me in ways I don't even know myself. That he's in love with someone who doesn't know him well enough to love him back the same way. He has this whole history I can't catch up with. And I know it hurts him," she says.

"I'd be lying if I said that what you're sharing didn't fit what he said after you left the—"

"What did he say?"

My hand flies to my mouth as Allie leans forward, her eyes wide and concerned. "Oh, I didn't mean to say that. I'm sorry. It's... it's nothing."

"No, please."

Sighing, I do my best to look contrite. At least, I hope I look it. I might just look a little constipated. "He just said that he really misses Old Allie. The version who knew your inside jokes and that he could bring you places without having to babysit. The idea of introducing you to people you've known most of your life seems ridiculous. He's also worried that the old you, the one he loves, won't come back. That he'll have to make a bigger decision of what to do then."

She dips her gaze to the coffee on the table. "Do you think it would have been better if I'd stayed with my parents instead of with Jax? Since you know us both so well, I figure you might have an opinion."

"I think it might've been a little easier for both of you. You wouldn't feel the pressure he doesn't mean to put on you, and he wouldn't have to battle so many conflicting emotions. That might be why he slept with me the last time he came to talk to me at my place."

Tilting her chin up, the looks she gives me makes my blood run cold. That is the Allie I remember. "You what?"

"He didn't tell you?" I ask, pretending to be shocked.

"You had sex with Jax?"

"I mean, we'd slept together a lot before you came back. I think it might've been a goodbye type of thing. One last orgasm fest. I don't know if I should tell you this or not, but he used to film us doing some pretty kinky stuff. He watched it when he was alone."

Blinking, she breathes heavily. "He did?"

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't tell you any of this."

"He said there were no videos of you."

I roll my eyes. "He probably got rid of them or locked them away somewhere, no longer needing them with you back. He's a computer genius, you know. I'm so jealous of the things he can do with computers. He can encode all sorts of data, which really helped when the cops questioned him about the days leading up to when you went missing—"

"What the fuck are you doing here, Laura?" Sage's voice calls from behind me, and I jump, nearly spilling my coffee.

I stumble over my words, taken aback, but Allie finds hers. "She came to bring me coffee and make sure I wasn't alone while you were at work. I think it was supposed to be sweet."

"It's not sweet," Sage says. "Nothing Laura ever does is sweet. She doesn't like you, Allie."

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