Page 103 of Help Me Remember
“What are you wearing?”
“Jeans. We have jeans on.” That’s strange, why would we be going into my bedroom?
“Good, Brie, can you see anything else?”
The scene shifts again, and I’m reliving last night. “It’s different . . . this is last night,” I say.
“Paint me the scene.”
“Spencer on top of me, reaching for the condom in the drawer.”
Again, everything changes, and I’m back at the parking lot. This time we’re past the yelling. “He has a gun! Isaac! Please!” I yell, the panic causing my heart to beat so hard it must be bruising my chest. “Don’t! No!”
“You’re okay, sweetheart, no one is here. Just tell me what you see,” Spencer says, his hands on my shoulders. “What do you see?”
“He’s pointing the gun at me, but Isaac is trying to get to me from the driver’s side. I tell him to stay there. I know I can handle it. I have to handle it.” I look harder, wanting to see who it is. I know him. “His voice . . . I’ve heard it before.”
“How does it sound?” Dr. Girardo asks.
“Angry. He’s very angry. He’s saying I have no right.” Then Isaac is trying to move toward me again. “He’s yelling at Isaac to stay back.”
The man moves the pistol from me to Isaac. He tells Isaac to stay where he is or he’ll kill me. He’s louder now.
“Can you describe his voice?” Dr. Girardo asks.
“It’s low. I know it. I’ve spoken to him many times.”
Dr. Girardo speaks again. “Stay in the scene, Brielle. You’re doing great. Take three deep breaths and describe what happens next.”
I do as he says, letting my breathing calm me. Only when I try to go back, everything is gone. There’s nothing. No sounds. No voices. Just darkness.
Suddenly, I’m being shaken. “Brielle! Wake up! Damn it, not again! Wake up!”
I open my eyes, and Spencer is there, his breathing is rapid and the panic in his eyes is clear. “What happened?”
He lets out a deep breath and clutches me to his chest. “Jesus Christ. I was . . . fuck. You’re okay.”
I push away from him, feeling embarrassed. “I’m fine. What happened?”
Dr. Girardo clears his throat. “You passed out. You were very difficult to wake.”
“Oh.” I don’t remember anything other than the memories being gone. “It all disappeared,” I explain.
He nods. “Your brain is still healing from the trauma of your injury. We may have pushed you a little too far.”
“No, I needed this. I know . . . I know his voice, and I heard it not too long ago.” I turn to Spencer. “We did.”
He glances between me and the doctor. “Who?”
My voice quivers. “Jax.”
ChapterTwenty-Four
SPENCER
I’m standing in the shower, water streaming down my face as I try to reconcile everything she said.
Jax.
