Forgetting You

The thought of Noah and what she was currently suffering made me scrub my face with my hands as my mind drifted back to one of the worst nights of my entire life. I couldn’t believe it was only fifteen days ago; it seemed like years instead of mere days. I should have known something was going to go wrong. It was night-time when it happened, one of the darkest nights I could remember in a long time.

My worst memories happened at night.

When I was eight, my father had shaken me awake in the early hours to tell me that my grandfather had passed away. Four nights later, he awakened me again to tell me that my grandmother had died in her sleep. When I was ten, a man dressed all in black broke into our house as we slept and tried to hurt my mother before my father saved her and called the guards.

When I got the call from Noah I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I was. Everything in my life had changed since that night. Every little thing.

Bad things always happened in the dark.

CHAPTER FIVE

ELLIOT

“Irish?”

I jumped as AJ’s voice interrupted my thoughts. I pinched the bridge of my nose as a slight pounding formed in my temples. I felt like crawling under a table and rocking myself back and forth until the images of what I’d seen left my mind, but they never did. They were always there. Silently haunting me.

“You were thinking of that night again, weren’t you?”

I drank down another glass of water that appeared in front of me.

“Leave it alone,” I said, my voice sounding husky to my own ears. “I don’t wanna talk about it, mate. I really don’t.”

“I know you don’t, and that’s why you have to talk about it,” AJ pressed. “You did everything you could, mate. Every little thing. It’s not your fault.”

But it was my fault. I should have moved faster once I got Noah free, I shouldn’t have lingered for those few seconds after I made sure that she was breathing, and I definitely shouldn’t have wasted time by kissing her.

“I hovered with Noah when I got her free.” I cleared my throat. “Those precious seconds could have saved me sister.”

“Elliot.” AJ moved closer to me. “You read the coroner’s report and you saw Bailey for yourself. She died on impact. She was gone long before the fire had the chance to claim her, brother.”

I looked into my empty glass.

“If you hadn’t of stayed with Noah for those few seconds you’d be dead too, your parents would have buried both of you.”

“Please, bud.” I swallowed, not being able to listen to his reasoning. “I can’t talk about it; it rips me apart inside when I think about her. I’m barely holdin’ it together. Please.”

“Okay,” AJ said, his hand giving my shoulder another squeeze. “Come on, let’s get you home. Being here isn’t helping you tonight.”

Unfortunately, AJ was right about that. Tonight, the drink didn’t black out my demons or bring me the numbness I craved. All it seemed to be doing was giving me a headache, and that was one thing I could do without. I downed another glass of water AJ got me then got to my feet. Out of the corner of my eye I watched as AJ held his hands out as if he was preparing to catch me should I fall. I wanted to laugh but found my throat couldn’t quite figure out how to do that any more.

“I’m grand, AJ,” I sighed as I lifted my arm and patted his. “Barely tipsy. No need to be me shoulder to lean on, the drink didn’t hit the spot tonight.”

“I’m always here with one to lean on whether you need it or not,” he said with a grunt. “I’m always gonna be here for you, mate. You’re my brother and I love you.”

“I love you too, brother.” I gave him a hug. “I’ll be okay,” I lied with ease. “I’m just in a bad place right now. I’ve never . . . I’ve never felt so lost before, man.”

Before AJ could say a word, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. Hurriedly, I took it out and my pulse spiked when my mother’s face flashed across the screen.

“Ma!” I answered, panicked. “What’s wrong? Are ye okay?”

“I’m fine,” she answered hurriedly. “I’m okay, honey.”

I gripped AJ’s arm as relief flooded me. “Ma, it’s late. What—”

“Elliot,” she interrupted tentatively. “Samantha just called me. It’s Noah.”

Fear just about stopped my heart beating at the mention of Noah. Her mother wouldn’t call so late unless it was something serious.

“What, Ma?” I rasped as my free hand clenched into a fist at my side. “Please, don’t say it. She can’t be dead too. Please.”

AJ placed his hands behind his head as he stared at me with unblinking eyes.