Page 176 of Poison Aches

“Samuel, that’s enough,” Grammy says firmly. She turns to look at me. “Ivy, you know your brother is right. You can’t get involved with the Easton boy. I told you this years ago.”

“If I can’t get involved with him, why did you always bring me with you whenever they called you to go to the estates?”

I can’t help but blow up. My chest is squeezed so tight. Everything hurts.

“Pumpkin…”

“No, riddle me that, Grammy!”

“Because you didn’t remember anything.”

I freeze in my tracks.

I stop breathing.

My world comes to a screeching halt.

“What?”

“I know you now remember what happened then, Ivy,” Grammy says softly, but I can hear the fear in her voice. “You remember things you were never meant to remember.”

I shake my head. “No, Grammy, that’s not the case. I was just writing…”

“You’re a terrible liar. You’ve been getting your memory back bit by bit for the past year, haven’t you?”

I feel sick to my stomach. I never told her because, well, I really don’t know why, but I knew telling my grandmother would change everything.

“Have you told him?”

“Who?”

“Emmett Easton. Have you told him that you remember his mother?”

The lady in my dreams… that was Emmett’s mother. The sole reason why Emmett hates me.

“Did you tell him?” Grammy presses with an urgency.

“I…”

“Tell me what you told him.”

“I didn’t tell him anything!”

“Are you sure?” she presses.

“Yes! I’m not so sure what I see. Sometimes I see myself drowning and screaming… What is that?”

Grammy sucks in a harsh breath, then she looks away from me.

“You never tell me anything! You don’t talk about my mother! You never tell me why she abandoned us! You don’t talkabout anything but now, you invade my privacy and tell me not to have feelings for a boy because remembering is bad?”

“I’m doing this because you’re not ready yet.”

“Ready for what?” I cry. “I hear you and Samuel talking! I know you hate the Eastons. I know it’s because of me, but I also know that Emmett misses his mom. Now that I remember something, I’m planning on telling him.”

“What?” Samuel snaps. “You can’t tell him that!”

“Why not?” I snap back. “You and I never had a mother to love us or take care of us. He did! Why can’t I tell him what I know so maybe he can find her?”

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