Page 24 of The Pale Rider
“I’ve forgotten everything, remember?” I reminded him.
Aeron waved the bottle at me.
“Then let’s forget forgetting.”
I just shrugged.
“I’ll drink to that.”
Aeron got two glasses down, but we didn’t have many options for mixing. We were basically doing straight shots. Aeron was a big guy. He was bigger than I was in every way. I didn’t know much about my past, but I apparently had the tolerance of a linebacker. Aeron was getting pretty sloppy, and I was barely buzzed. We had drunk half the bottle, and I was putting a lid on this. We didn’t need to drink the entire thing just because we had it, and I had no desire to hold Aeron’s hair back while he puked in the dark.
I helped Aeron to bed and tried to tuck him in. He straight up grabbed me and pulled me into bed. He yanked me to his chest and threw his leg over me. I could feel him nuzzling my neck with his nose.
“You’re so pretty,” he sighed.
“You’re so drunk, Aeron.”
“Shut up. Tonight, we forget everything. I’m forgetting you remember nothing. I just want to hold you, Speedy. Let me have this.”
I went totally still. Did Aeron and I know each other before? He wanted me to remember for way more reasons than just going to kill the president with him. Was I supposed to be remembering him? Why was he such a dick to me if he was so affectionate when he was drunk?
He had me crushed to his chest, and he was snoring in an instant. Why didn’t he do this the night I had a nightmare?
Was I supposed to be remembering Aeron this entire time?
Chapter 14
I
didn’t have any memory nightmares that night. When I woke up, Aeron was nowhere to be found. I looked out the front door, and I didn’t see him or his horse. I found him outside in the backyard cooking over a makeshift stove. He didn’t seem hungover at all. He must have super drunk powers because I didn’t get as drunk as he did, and he wasn’t paying for it today.
He was back to being a cold fish.
“Hey, Ariel. One of the best things about Gabriel’s Haven is that they have chickens. Someone left eggs on the front porch. It’s not much, but I scrambled them with some rosemary that grows in the yard.”
“It’s a hot meal, and I’m grateful for whatever you can cook. I know it’s not always going to be like this. What did you do for this town that they like you so much? I know you didn’t bribe them with chocolate.”
“I came through here looking to map a safe route from Washington State to Mexico. When I got to the gate, Scooter and his gang were here, causing trouble. I caused them a little trouble. I guess you could say I made them dead.”
I just nodded and took the plate from him.
“Because your specialty is death, right?”
“Exactly.”
“Are you ever going to explain what that means?”
“Not any time soon, Speedy.”
“Why do you sometimes call me Speedy and sometimes Ariel?
Aeron just shrugged and wouldn’t look at me.
“Sometimes, I slip up.”
If he would not mention last night, should I? Would it make shit weird? Shit was already pretty weird. I already had him talking a little, and he let his hair down and got drunk with me last night. I decided not to let shit get any weirder and just enjoy my eggs.
“What’s the plan for today?”
