“Hector he could bring my girl back to me, she doesn’t even know who she is or who we are.”
I have to get out of here and call Papi. I have so many questions. And I want to tell Tristian I’m sorry I hurt him. He needs to know I remember. I remember everything.
Feeling along the wall I hope it is still here. All this time the key to the dungeon has been within my grasp. I push in on a few stones and they don’t move. I am about to give up when I decide to try one more and voila, it comes out of the wall revealing a small hole with the key that will set me free. Hurriedly, I slip my hand through the bars, and with a twist of the key, I am free.
Rushing up the stairs, I search for Tristian, calling out his name. I can’t find him anywhere. Walking into his room I am taken back to last night and the love that we made. It was beautiful. So many of the things he has done all makes sense to me now. He only wanted for me to remember. I unknowingly hurt him, and I can only hope he understands.
Looking around his room, there are several photos of us displayed as children. I smile picking up one of us baking with my Lita in the kitchen. It seems we were making Valentine heart cookies.
How could my parents let me forget about my Lita and Tristian? How could they not try to give me back the piece of me that was missing?
I see a laptop on his desk and the screen is on. I go into his trash and open up a video that he deleted. It’s of Tristian and his late father. I watch in horror as he lets him die but then I hear Tristian’s final words. “I’ll see you in hell, Angelo. This is for my mother and this is for Isabella, you’ll never have her.”
He killed him for me? My head hurts and a memory dances in my head. “I’ll kill him for this Isa, I swear,” Tristian whispers in my ear as he touches me, where he shouldn’t.
I can remember what he can’t forget and my stomach lurches.
I need to talk to Tristian.
Unable to find Tristian I go to my room to call Papi on my cell phone.
“Hello,” he answers after three rings.
“Papi we need to talk.”
“Isa have you talked to Ari?”
“No, why? She gone off on a bender?”
“Isa she left the store unlocked and the car running. No one can find her. I need you to come home.”
“You know how she is Papi she probably met some guy and forgot all about her responsibilities as usual. I need you to tell me why you discouraged Mama from helping me to regain my memory after the accident.”
Silence.
“Papi answer me.”
“Isa we will talk about it after we find Ari.”
“We’ll talk about it now Papi or not at all.”
“Fine Isa. Your relationship with Tristian Vandacamp was unhealthy and I didn’t like it. You depended on him like he was the air that you breathed. He was sickly and I thought he was going to die, and I thought that when he did, it would be easier if you weren’t so attached to him.”
I don’t know how to respond to that.
“I remember everything Papi. I also know why Angelo Vandacamp gave you money. He didn’t give you a loan. He paid you off for your silence. You didn’t want me to remember. You didn’t want Mama to find out what you were hiding!” I hear a door slam downstairs. Tristian. “I have to go Papi.”
“Isa don’t end our call this way! What has Tristian been telling you?”
“Nothing but the truth. I remember everything Papi and I love him. There is nothing you can do to change it.”
“Isa!” he calls as I click the phone off.
I grab a fresh change of clothes and go into the bathroom to clean up before I talk to Tristian. I feel all gross from the day I have had.
I don’t know why I feel so nervous about talking to him, but it just feels a bit different, now that I can remember everything we have shared. I figured he would have discovered I am no longer down in the dungeon and come looking for me by now.
After checking the library and game room for Tristian I go into the kitchen figuring he has gone down to the cellar. I am getting ready to go down the stairs when I am grabbed from behind.