Page 32 of Secrets (The Sins Trilogy 2)
He’s peering at me, not with paternalistic judgment but genuine concern. I suddenly feel petty and foolish. It’s Sam who hurt me and made me doubt myself. Aside from one phone call, Byron’s been nothing but fabulous. He’s the kind of friend who’d literally give me the shirt off his back. “I’m fine. I’m sorry I’m a bit…weird today. His second attempt shook me up a little.”
“He better not try again.”
“I doubt he will,” I say vaguely, not wanting him to probe, in case Julie purposely didn’t tell him about Sam trying to drown me. There’s no reason to upset Byron, and there’s nothing he can do about it now.
“If there’s anything I can do to help, just let me know, Rizzy.”
Suddenly, the girl in the blue dress pops into my head. Tony said there’s virtually no chance to discover her identity, but Byron might know a way. He travels in different circles, and has a different network of people. If I know who she is, maybe I can speak to her. Find out how we know each other. Maybe she and I were great friends before my coma. She might trigger more memories. My heart fluttering with muted anticipation, I tell Byron about the girl I remember.
“So…like a repressed memory?” he asks.
“Yeah, something like that.” I fidget, feeling guilty I’m not telling him everything about my partial amnesia. He knows my memory is bad, but he thinks it’s because of the head injury scrambling my brain a bit, nothing serious. I’ve never shared the severity of my condition with him because I don’t really feel comfortable enough. Tony is the only one I’ve told the full truth. “I want to know what happened to her. She feels important.”
Byron nods. “Easily done. I can’t guarantee anything, mind you, but I can definitely look into it.”
Yes! His promise is like a breakthrough. Okay, even without a guarantee, at least I’m not just drawing her face in my notebook—badly—and obsessing about it. A thrill races through me, and I hug Byron. “Thanks! You’re the best!”
He hugs me back. “My pleasure, Rizzy, I’ll—”
“Get your hands off my girlfriend, Pearce, before I cut them off.”
